


Burn Us Down In Flames

by Inkandquills, writersstudy



Series: Roleplay Fics [4]
Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, Prince!N, Pyromancer!Leo, Smut, baby!hyuk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 00:00:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 44,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19414207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkandquills/pseuds/Inkandquills, https://archiveofourown.org/users/writersstudy/pseuds/writersstudy
Summary: A story of lovers lost to the fires of passion.[[PLEASE NOTE THAT WE, THE AUTHORS, HAVE NOT GIVEN PERMISSION FOR THIS WORK TO BE RE-POSTED ANYWHERE EXCEPT DIRECTLY ON AO3. IF YOU SEE THIS WORK ANYWHERE ELSE, PLEASE REPORT IT FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND NOTIFY US AT LIVING.LENIENTLY@GMAIL.COM. THANK YOU.]]





	Burn Us Down In Flames

**Author's Note:**

> Michelle is Hakyeon, Ashlee is Taekwoon

Hakyeon walked down the hallway to the throne room. He had been summoned by his father and knew that no good could come out of this meeting. After walking through the large wooden doors, held open by two guards, Hakyeon made his way to the foot of the throne and bowed respectfully. “Hakyeon, as the crown prince it is your responsibility to take over the throne when I am no longer fit to rule,” the King began. Hakyeon nodded his head and respectfully waited for his father to continue. “In order to do that you need a queen worthy of this family to sit by your side. Princesses from the neighboring kingdoms will be arriving soon so that you can choose one to be your wife.” Hakyeon’s heart sank as his father finished his speech. _I don’t want a wife._

Taekwoon sat on a wall, playing with the fire in his fingers as he waited for night to fall. He was messing around, making small creatures in his palms. “Mama, look!” A small girl tumbled her way over to Taekwoon and he smiled softly. Moving his fingers deftly, he made a small flower and tucked it behind her ear, charming it to not burn the girl. He produced another and urged her small fingers to wrap around it. “For your mother,” he said softly. She giggled and returned to her mother, who smiled at Taekwoon gratefully. He bowed his head slightly.

Hakyeon was distraught, he knew no amount of pleading or begging would get his father to change his mind and that left him hopeless. Instead of wallowing in his bed chambers he decided to take a walk into town. He changed into the commoners clothes he kept hidden in his wardrobe and donned his favorite robe. Pulling the hood over his head, he snuck out of the castle and walked down the street. Not having a destination, Hakyeon allowed himself to wander down streets he usually didn’t go down and caught sight of a man with long, dark hair sitting on a wall, talking to a small child. Hakyeon couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was mesmerized by the flowers the man conjured from his fingertips.

Taekwoon went back to creating his small animals. He crafted a tiny bird with his fingertips and set it free to the skies. Taekwoon wasn’t a fire-eater, technically. He was one better. Taekwoon was a pyromancer, a magician that worked with fire. The flames had been in his fingers since he was born, but it had taken years for him to master it to this level. He was watching his little sparrow fly away when he noticed a hooded man watching him.

A smile spread across Hakyeon’s face as he watched the man create a bird; his eyes following it until it burnt out. He jumped when he realized the long haired man was watching him and quickly put his head down. He strode away regretfully, but he couldn’t get caught being out of the castle, especially at this hour.

Tilting his head, Taekwoon let a string of fire leave his fingers, wrapping around the mysterious man’s wrist. He pulled gently, tugging the man’s attention back to him. “You can watch if you have some coin,” he said softly, “it’ll be dark enough for me to really get started soon anyway.”

Hakyeon gasped in surprise when something suddenly wrapped around his wrists and turned around. He couldn’t afford to be recognized so he kept his head down and stared at the fire that had wound itself around his wrist, yet didn’t burn. “I’m sorry,” he said sadly, “but I can’t stay out any longer.” He had no qualms about paying the man, but the later it grew the likelihood of his father noticing his disappearance increased. 

“C’mon,” Taekwoon said enticingly, “just one show.” He let sparks fly from his fingers, dancing in front of the man’s face. They illuminated his features slightly, but not enough for Taekwoon to make them out clearly.

Hakyeon sighed, one show wouldn’t make much of a difference considering he was planning on walking around more anyway. “Okay,” he consented, “one show.” He fished a couple of coins from his pocket and held them out in his open palm. He couldn’t afford to get much closer, but he trusted the pyromancer had a trick up his sleeve to be able to get them.

Taekwoon smiled and created a small bag from his palm, which he sent floating over to the man to collect the coins. Leaving the bag to its own devices, he started getting ready to perform. Shrugging off his cloak to expose his bare torso, he started covering his hands and forearms with ash before smearing some on his chest and back. He didn’t need the protection, but it always made people feel better watching his act.

Hakyeon let the coins slip from his hand into the bag, letting his fingers run lightly over the outside. It felt soft and only slightly warm to the touch, not at all how he expected something made of fire to feel like. He inhaled sharply as the man discarded his cloak to expose his firm chest and watched curiously as he coated his upper body in ash.

Taekwoon pulled the bag back, settling it near his feet, then climbed up on the wall to begin his show. He always started small, with tiny flame creations flying out of his fingers to flit around his audience. This time, he kept the number small, so as to not overwhelm the man. Eventually, he moved onto bigger things, creating life sized creatures, people, and even building a castle around the man. He created colored fireworks and grew trees that became oceans that became tiny dancing fairies. Taekwoon worked his magic in the best way he knew how. Finally, it came time for the finale, and the one reason he chose to set up on tallest bridge in the capital city. Taking a deep breath, Taekwoon extinguished his flames and let himself fall backwards off the side of the bridge.

Hakyeon’s mouth fell open as he watched the creations spring from the pyromancer’s fingers. Quickly closing his mouth, he instead let it spread into a large grin as he tried to keep up with everything happening around him. Hakyeon felt his worries melt away as he watched the rest of the show. He eyed the man curiously when he climbed onto the wall as all of his creations extinguished themselves. “No!” Hakyeon gasped as the man fell backwards. He rushed to the edge of the bridge and looked down, but it was too dark for him to see anything.

Taekwoon exhaled and pushed up with his feet as large, flaming wings burst out along his back. It had taken him _years_ to master this trick and it was the thing he was most proud of. He flew upwards, high above the bridge, before landing lightly on the ledge and allowing the feathers to molt, extinguishing themselves as soon as they hit the ground. Once they were all gone, he hopped off the wall and bowed.

Hakyeon gasped in shock when the man suddenly surged past him with large wings adorning his back. When the man finally landed, Hakyeon let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He eagerly applauded the pyromancer when he had bowed, not realizing how close he was now standing.

Taekwoon smiled smugly as he heard the man clapping and stood up to his full height. “You don’t see things like that up at the court, do you?” he asked. The man was obviously a noble; no one else would go to such lengths to hide their faces around common folk unless they were criminals, and criminals never gave up coin. “What is it you do up there?” he asked, “an advisor? A courtesan? Perhaps, a prince?” As he said it, he created a flaming crown in midair, which fell to ash the moment it touched the man’s head.

Hakyeon’s smile slipped from his face as the man created a fiery crown, and he quickly tilted his head back down. He breathed deeply, cursing himself for not being more careful. “Thank you for the show, but I must be going now,” he said abruptly as he turned around again.

“Come back tomorrow,” Taekwoon called after him, grinning, “I’m trying out a new stunt. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

Hakyeon kept his head down the whole walk back to the castle. He quickly slipped into his chambers grateful that no one had noticed his disappearance. The guard outside his room knew of his frequent visits to the town and was always able to deter anyone, other than the King, looking for his audience. Hakyeon sat on his bed for a moment, fingers interlocked to keep his hands from shaking. Slowly, he stood up from the bed to change into his bed wear and wash his face. After he had gotten ready for bed, he laid down, the pyromancer’s show replaying itself over and over in his mind until he finally fell asleep.

Taekwoon repeated his show a few more times, but weeknights always meant smaller crowds. All too soon, he was packing up and heading out of the city. The pyromancer never stayed within the city limits, too fearful of his powers. While he had steady control of them while awake, he couldn’t say the same while asleep. He had once razed an entire village, burnt it to the ground with all its people inside. That was where he stayed now, to remind himself of the dangers of leaving himself unchecked.

Hakyeon had woken up with the sun and busied himself tidying his already impeccable room as he waited for his father’s summons. He made a mental note to get more parchment from his father so he could continue working on his translation. When his father finally called for him, Hakyeon once again made his way to the throne room. He only half paid attention to his father explain the etiquette for choosing a wife, he shuddered at the word, over the next couple weeks. After asking for more parchment to be delivered to his chambers, he made his way to the kitchens for a much needed meal.

Taekwoon spent the next day working his new stunt over and over. He took some pretty nasty falls, but he had mostly gotten the hang of it by the time he had to leave for the city. He was running a little late, so he took a hooded cloak instead. It gave him the ability to cover his face in the necessary runes and sigils ahead of time without being looked at weirdly.

Hakyeon spent the greater part of his afternoon working on translating the book his father had brought him from one of the neighboring Kingdoms. Once the sun had begun to set, he got changed and once again snuck out of the castle. He knew it was foolish to sneak out two nights in a row and it was even more foolish to go back to the pyromancer, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. Considering the man had already almost figured out who he was, Hakyeon didn’t really have much to lose.

Taekwoon performed his normal sequence a few times, waiting until it was darker to try the new stunt. That would be for the last show of the night, around midnight. When the time finally rolled around, he was a little disappointed that the man from the previous night was nowhere to be seen. He had a sizable crowd regardless, as the local merchants had been spreading word of his new show for hours. Taking a deep breath, he hopped up on the ledge to get started.

Hakyeon made his way over to the bridge and was surprised to see a large crowd already gathered. He hid himself in the back and watched the man as he climbed onto the ledge, anxious for the new stunt that he promised.

Taekwoon started off as he usually did, with a few small creations to relax the children in the crowd. He moved on to bigger things and then started telling his story. It was the fiery recreation of a fairy tale, one about a princess locked away from the world and the commoner that saved her. He played the part of the commoner, interacting with the fire as if it were a real person. When the stunt came, he steeled his nerves and began to climb the wall of fire, as if trying to reach the girl above. When he had almost made it to the top, he slipped from the wall, hand reaching up as if the girl would save him, and plummeted off the bridge toward the river below. Once he was the below the crowd’s sightline, he had to work quickly. The fire followed his commands, moving to appear as if the girl had jumped to follow him. Taking a deep breath, he swiped the last mark through the runes, activating them and creating a creature beneath him, a steed that carried him back up above the bridge to catch the fall fire and land safely on the wall.

Hakyeon smiled softly as the man warmed up the crowd. His smile widened as the pyromancer began to tell a story and he quickly became entranced in the plot. This time he was not afraid when the man fell from the bridge, although the gasp from the crowd proved that not everyone was used to his tricks. Although Hakyeon was not surprised by the fall, he was surprised that this time a brilliant steed carried the man to safety rather than his wings. He clapped along with the crowd and watched as people rushed forward to place coins in the bag on the ground in front of him. Hakyeon gave some to a child that had been watching from next to him and asked them to bring them to the bag for him before turning around; he wanted to avoid being noticed tonight if he could help it.

Taekwoon thanked the members of the crowd that came up to give him a few coins, glad that his new stunt had been successful. It was when the crowd was finally dispersing that he noticed the hooded man trying to sneak away. With a small smirk, he cast some sparks to follow the man’s path, invisible to everyone but himself, so that he could catch up with him once the townsfolk were gone.

The town was mostly quiet now that it was so late and Hakyeon was free to wander the streets without fear of being recognized. He weaved through a couple small side streets as he made his way back to the castle.

Taekwoon managed to duck away fairly quickly and practically sprinted down his little path of sparks, collecting them as he went. It wasn’t long before he caught up to the hooded man darting down a side street. Forgetting the ash smeared on his hands, Taekwoon reached out and caught his wrist.

Hakyeon gasped when someone grabbed his wrist and quickly yanked it out of the strangers grasp as he spun around. He kept his head down, but the ash that covered his wrist gave away the pyromancer as the one that stopped him. “Why did you follow me?” he asked softly as he kept his eyes locked on the ground.

“You intrigue me,” Taekwoon said simply. He crowded the man against the wall so he couldn’t escape again, “you’re obviously trying to not be seen among the townsfolk, and yet you’ve snuck out to see me twice in a row, although I’m sure yesterday was not for me intentionally. Did you like the new trick?”

Hakyeon backed away from the man and his back suddenly collided with a wall. He had no way out and no hope at hiding his identity for much longer. His father would not be happy when he found out about this and Hakyeon winced internally as he thought of the punishment he would receive. Turning his attention back to the pyromancer, but still not daring to look up, he finally whispered, “I did.”

“You can look at me,” Taekwoon said softly, “I don’t care how noble you are, really. Any danger you’re in because of me is not by the way of being exposed for escaping. I mean, I’m making money off of you. Why would I turn you in?” He lifted an ashy hand and tipped the man’s chin up, knocking his hood back off his head.

Hakyeon’s sucked in a breath when the man tilted his chin up. Once his hood fell from his head, he raised his eyes to finally meet the gaze of the pyromancer. Hakyeon hadn’t gotten a good look at the man’s face until now and gasped quietly as his eyes took in his features.

“Crown Prince Cha Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said, intrigue taking over his voice. Of all the members of the court to be sneaking out, Hakyeon was the last one Taekwoon would expect. He remembered seeing Hakyeon at his father’s side when he was a child, only a few months younger than the prince, and to see him now in person was quite the surprise.

Hakyeon shifted nervously on his feet as the man announced his name. “Are you satisfied now that you know who I am?” he tried to keep his voice even, but he was growing more and more ansty the longer he was kept out.

“I’m keeping you, aren’t I?” Taekwoon said, ignoring the question. Stepping back, he used his ashy fingers to create a new rune on his chest, which glowed for a moment before fading. From his palm rose a fiery disk, which he held out to Hakyeon. “It’ll fade by the time you get back to the castle,” he said, “but it’ll burn again the next time I have a new trick for you. You’ll have to come see me to get another one.” Leaving the disk with the prince, he retreated down the alleyway, stopping and turning back at the end to bow once more before disappearing into the night.

Hakyeon watched the man disappear into the night before looking down at his hands. He flipped the disk over before storing it in his pocket and quickly heading home, forgetting to replace his hood. Rushing into his bedchamber, he quickly shut and locked the door before heading to the bathroom. He washed up, and carefully cleaned the ash from his wrist. After placing the disk on his nightstand, Hakyeon laid down and fell asleep almost immediately.

It was a couple of weeks before Taekwoon decided he was ready for Hakyeon to see his new trick. He didn’t know why he was so hell bent on impressing the crown prince. It wasn’t like Taekwoon had been attracted to him since he knew what attraction was. Certainly not. Preposterous. Either way, he had a new story to tell and he wanted Hakyeon to see it. He lightly traced over the rune on his chest, the one that had become sunken into his skin like a tattoo, and stared at the castle, waiting.

Hakyeon was summoned to the throne room much earlier than usual and he began to panic when he saw the stern frown across his father’s face. He stood with his head down as his father chastised him for being so careless as to sneak out of the castle. “You are to remain in your chambers and will only leave to come here when the princesses arrive. If you try to leave for any reason, I will be notified.” Hakyeon’s heart sank when the realization that he wouldn’t be able to sneak out again sank in. He allowed himself to be escorted back into his room, where he stayed for the next few weeks. One night the disk on this night stand began to glow and Hakyeon picked it up with a sad sigh. He twirled the glowing piece of metal in his fingers, regretful that he couldn’t meet the pyromancer. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered aloud as he stared at his window.

When night had fallen, Taekwoon made the realization that something was keeping Hakyeon from coming. He didn’t know where the elder was in the castle, but he knew that his current spot couldn’t be seen from any of its windows. He spread it among the merchants: he was moving to the main bridge through the heart of the city, just for the night. It was still high enough over the river for what he needed. He wouldn’t be jumping this. No, tonight’s performance was much more of a visual story than an enacted one.

Hakyeon pulled his desk chair over to his window like he did almost every night. Since he couldn’t got out into the city, this was the next best thing he could do to enjoy it. Sighing he pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, the disk clenched tightly in his fists.

“I’ll need a volunteer tonight,” Taekwoon announced to the crowd that had gathered, “an adult man if you’re willing.” A man stepped forward out of the crowd and Taekwoon motioned him over, quickly explaining to him what was to happen. “Tonight’s show will simply be a story, although I can still make some creatures for those of you that would like them at the end,” he said as he sat cross legged on the wall of the bridge and began to draw.

As Hakyeon’s eyes scanned the city below him, he noticed a crowd had gathered around the main bridge. He leaned forward trying to get a closer look, but couldn’t tell if it was actually the pyromancer or if it was just wishful thinking.

Taekwoon had to make his drawings large, to make sure they could be seen from the castle. He drew a small boy hiding behind his mother’s legs as a parade passed them. Another boy fell off of one of the many horses passing by and the first boy reached forward to help him, but they were yanked apart, one by his mother and the other by a guard. The flames disappeared and he began building the next scene.

Hakyeon couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face when he realized it was in fact the pyromancer. He pressed his forehead to the window so that he could see the performance. It wasn’t a typical show, but instead drawings of scenes that felt somewhat familiar to Hakyeon, although he wasn’t quite sure why.

The next scene was nearly identical, except the boys were teenagers. The one stayed on the horse this time, while the other stayed on the ground, hands tucked into his pockets as Taekwoon gradually colored his cheeks red. The crowd laughed when his burning skin made his clothing burst into flames. The fire disappeared again for the third scene.

As the flames of the second scene slowly died out it dawned on Hakyeon that the pyromancer had moved from his usual location. He must have known that Hakyeon was trapped and moved specifically so that he would still be able to watch. He clutched the disk tighter and leaned closer to the glass, quickly rubbing away the fog he created with his breath.

The third scene was just one boy, laying asleep on a mattress. Slowly, the flames around him grew and grew and he shrunk and shrunk until all that could be seen was a burning village. The scene ended with the boy’s face, shedding tears, being absorbed into the dense forest. For the fourth scene, both boys came back as adults. One wore a hood and had flames dripping from his fingers, while the other wore a crown. They stood face to face, simply staring as Taekwoon finally stood. He held a hand out to his volunteer and the fiery boy behind him copied his actions.

Hakyeon gasped when the realization of what the scenes were, and who the boys were supposed to be, finally hit him. He waited with bated breath for how the rest of this scene would unfold. Placing a hand on the glass next to his head, he watched closely.

While above him one flame boy knelt to the other, Taekwoon quickly conjured wings for both himself and his volunteer. As they slowly ascended into the air among the flames, the prince pulled the flame boy up and hugged him tightly. Taekwoon and his partner did the same thing, embracing tightly before separating to reflect the posture of their enflamed counterparts, standing tall and holding hands as they slowly descended back onto the bridge.

Hakyeon sighed as the scene came to an end. He would do absolutely anything to be down there at the bridge, instead of trapped in his room. Hakyeon couldn’t believe that the pyromancer had done all of that for him and he wondered why. He would much rather have asked in person, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to do that for a long time.

Taekwoon was exhausted, physically and emotionally. What he had done was risky and there was a good chance that Hakyeon hadn’t even seen it. As soon as he got back to his hollowed home, he collapsed and fell asleep.

Hakyeon kept his eyes on the bridge until the crowd was long gone. Finally, he dragged himself away from the window and laid down, mind running a mile a minute as he tried to think of a way to escape his imprisonment.

A few weeks passed and Taekwoon still hadn’t seen Hakyeon. He had permanently moved his show to the main bridge, realizing that he got a much larger crowd when he performed there, especially when the court had visitors. Secretly he hoped that being near the castle would make it easier for Hakyeon to sneak out to him under the guise of entertaining guests.

Hakyeon had started meeting princesses over the next few weeks and he wasn’t able to find any he could even pretend to be interested in. The only thing saving him from insanity was the pyromancer’s shows every night. One day his father had organized a ball for the visiting princesses and their families. After mingling for a little while, Hakyeon quickly slipped out a back entrance. He wasn’t able to get changed, but he was able to sneak his robe with him to put on. Quickly he made his way to the main bridge, not entirely sure why he was so desperate to see the pyromancer, whose name he still did not know.

With all of the visitors passing over the bridge on the night of the ball, Taekwoon had changed his repertoire for the night to his flashy tricks. These were the ones he hated doing, because they got people hurt, but he needed to impress. This was why he worked above a river. It just made sense.

Hakyeon finally reached the bridge, panting slightly, and looked up eagerly at the pyromancer. He hadn’t seen a show this close in ages and he was excited for what was to come.

Taekwoon wasn’t paying much attention to the crowd around him; it wasn’t a storytelling night so he didn’t need to. Instead, he focused on doing his tricks without hurting anyone.

Hakyeon didn’t want to get too close for fear of the other members of the crowd recognizing him, but his curiosity got the better of him. Slowly he made his way closer to the front, while staying along the edge of the crowd.

Taekwoon finished a larger figure and glanced up at the castle, wondering if Hakyeon was enjoying his party. His concentration broke and so did the figure behind him, artfully shattering into the river.

Hakyeon gasped along with the rest of the crowd as the pyromancer’s creation broke apart, raining sparks down to the river below. The tricks the man was performing tonight were different than what Hakyeon was used to and he wondered why he had never seen them before. Without realizing it, he made his way to the front of the crowd, but kept himself well to the side so he could sneak off quickly when the show was over.

Taekwoon was having trouble focusing as he built the next creation and when he got distracted by movement in the crowd, it exploded. A ball of fire hurtled toward one side of the crowd and Taekwoon quickly jumped up to catch the impact with his own fire-filled chest, pushing a cloaked man out of the way as he hit the ground, wheezing.

Hakyeon watched with anxious eyes as the man seemed to be struggling to perform his next trick. Suddenly a ball of fire was rushing towards him, but Hakyeon was pushed out of the way just in time. Just as he hit the ground he watched the pyromancer take the full force of the fire ball to his chest. He quickly made his way over to where the man had fallen. “Are you okay?” he asked nervously as he knelt down next to him.

Taekwoon coughed and swallowed, forcing the fire down before it could explode out of him. “I’m fine,” he said tersely as he got up. “Show’s over,” he announced loudly, knowing he would definitely hurt someone if he continued.

Hakyeon stepped nervously aside as the man got to his feet. He kept his head lowered while the crowd dispersed and waited until everyone was gone before he spoke up again. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked quietly as he raised his eyes.

“Yes,” Taekwoon said quietly as he packed up his things and fastened his cloak back over his shoulders, “that is the not the largest fire I have had to consume.”

Hakyeon’s eyes widened. “It’s not?” he asked shakily. He didn’t realize he had taken a step closer to the pyromancer.

“So you weren’t watching then,” Taekwoon mumbled as he slung his bag over a shoulder and pulled his hood up to cover his face.

“No, I was,” Hakyeon said quickly, “but you haven’t gotten hurt before.” All of the shows he had watched from the window had gone seamlessly so Hakyeon was still on edge from seeing the pyromancer get hurt.

“It was not during a show,” Taekwoon explained lightly, not wanting to go into detail. If Hakyeon had seen his first show on the bridge, then hopefully he would know what Taekwoon was referring to.

Hakyeon furrowed his eyebrows as he wracked his brain for what the pyromancer could be referring to. He thought back to all the previous performances and finally landed on the first show that caused his disk to glow several weeks ago. “Oh,” he said softly as the realization struck him. He turned his head down and twisted the disk around in his pocket, smiling gently as he remembered the performance.

“Oh,” Taekwoon echoed, “but I shouldn’t keep you. I’m glad you enjoyed tonight’s show. And that you didn’t get hurt.” With that, he turned to leave.

“Wait,” Hakyeon said quickly. “I have your disk. You said to come see you to get another one,” he added as he pulled the item from his pocket and extended his arm.

“I won’t be doing shows for a while,” Taekwoon said, stopping but not turning back, “you’ll see when I start again.”

“I see,” Hakyeon mumbled sadly. With a sigh he returned the disk to his pocket. “Can you at least tell me your name?” he asked slowly.

Taekwoon hesitated. “In the city, I go by Leo,” he said. He knew that Hakyeon, as the crown prince, would recognize his birth name and he didn’t want to ruin this tentative friendship yet.

“Leo,” Hakyeon repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue, “I like that. Its very… majestic. It fits you nicely.” He knew there was no way this was the pyromancer’s real name, but he wasn’t going to pry, not yet anyway.

“Good night, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said softly before disappearing into the maze of the city and heading back to his ashen home. When he reached the burnt out village, he collapsed with a gasp, releasing the fire he was still holding within him. It skittered across the burnt frames before going out.

“Good night, Leo,” Hakyeon whispered before regretfully making his way back to the castle. Luckily, the ball was still in full swing and he was able to slip in unnoticed. Several guests came up to talk to him, but he was much too distracted to make much use of the conversations. Eventually the ball came to an end and the crowd slowly dispersed, allowing Hakyeon to disappear into his chambers for the night.

Taekwoon spent weeks and weeks practicing his control, but he barely seemed to improve. Some days, he couldn’t stop the fire from burning everything around him, destroying even more of the forest. One of those days, he wondered if it would simply one day consume him. On other days, he could barely conjure a spark, and he would wonder if his flame was simply dying out. It was a painful tug of war.

Hakyeon was either locked in his chambers or sat next to his father meeting new princesses. He was slowly going crazy from being trapped in the castle and would do anything to be able to walk around outside, even if it was just in the gardens. Every night he pulled his chair up to the window and eagerly waited to see Leo perform, but he didn’t come. Hakyeon grew more and more disappointed and he worried if he would ever see the pyromancer again.

It wasn’t until Taekwoon started running low on money that he decided to return to his shows. He wasn’t going to do anything huge, just small creations for the kids, just enough to get him a few coins. He even debated returning to his original spot but ultimately decided against it.

Hakyeon thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw a small crowd gathered around the main bridge. He couldn’t see exactly what Leo was doing, because he kept his creations small, but it was comforting to know that the pyromancer was back to performing. Hakyeon sighed as he leaned his forehead on the glass, now he had to think of another way to escape the castle.

It was Taekwoon’s last show, about a week after he’d started again. His magic was no less shaky and he couldn’t take the risk of hurting more people. After this, he would return to the forest and let the flames burn until they had no choice but to consume him too. He almost wished Hakyeon would be there to see him go.

Due to his increased amount of free time, Hakyeon had quickly finished translating his book. Upon practically begging his father, he was allowed to go into town that evening to purchase a new book. Despite the even stricter curfew, Hakyeon was not going to squander his evening and was going to ensure he saw Leo again. His father had sent a guard with him, but luckily he was able to convince them to take his new books home and leave him to his own devices. Slipping his robe from the bag he had brought, he quickly put it on in the shadows of a building and headed to the main bridge.

Taekwoon had planned on performing the same show he’d done when he first met Hakyeon, with a slight change to the last trick. Instead of landing back on the ledge, he would simply soar out of the city. Once a small crowd had gathered, he announced that he wouldn’t be collecting any coin, that he’d simply be performing.

Hakyeon stayed toward the back of the crowd this time, not because he was scared of Leo, but because he needed to be less discreet because of the smaller size of the crowd. He furrowed his eyebrows when the pyromancer announced he would not be collecting money. Tilting his head, Hakyeon watched Leo closely and waited. 

Taekwoon began going through the motions of the routine when something caught his eye: a man in a hooded robe at the back of the crowd. Hakyeon. Suddenly, he knew he couldn’t go through with leaving the city like this. The crown prince at least deserved some closure.

Hakyeon smiled softly when he realized Leo was performing the same show he had for him all those weeks ago. It felt comforting to see the same figures dance across the sky. He took a few steps forward, careful to remain in the back.

It came time for Taekwoon to do his final stunt and he looked Hakyeon straight in the eye before he fell backward, arms spread.

Hakyeon sucked in a breath when he locked eyes with Leo. Despite knowing what was coming, he still couldn’t help but feel worried and stepped forward as the crowd rushed to the edge of the bridge.

The wings weren’t coming. They weren’t coming! Why weren’t they coming? Taekwoon was nearly to the water when they finally burst forth and carried him upward.

Hakyeon waited with baited breath, yet Leo did not come soaring back up. A few cries from the crowd sent Hakyeon into a panic and he rushed over to the edge. Looking over he saw that Leo was almost to the water and had to hold back a scream as he feared the worst. Suddenly, just as the pyromancer was about to hit the water, wings erupted from his back and carried him upwards. Sighing in relief Hakyeon retreated to his earlier position, grateful that the crowd had been distracted.

Taekwoon landed on the wall to raucous applause, trying not to show just how shaken he was by the long fall. At least the crowd thought it was intentional. Once they started to disperse, he carefully got off the wall and let himself take a hard seat on the ground.

Hakyeon waited for the crowd to thin out before he rushed over to Leo and knelt down next to him. “Are you okay? What’s going on?” he asked as he brushed Leo’s long hair out of his face. “And don’t you dare lie to me,” he added sternly. 

“There’s something wrong with the fire,” Taekwoon admitted, “it’s like it’s blocked from me. I can’t control it anymore.” He ran a hand over his face. He didn’t understand how one fairly small ball of fire could completely change his ability like this.

Hakyeon sighed quietly as he sat down next to Leo. He had not the slightest idea how to help the pyromancer, but he wanted to try anyway. “Is there anything you can do? Does it hurt?” he bit his lip at the barrage of questions he was throwing at Leo, but he couldn’t help being worried.

“There’s just. So much fire and then none at all,” Taekwoon explained, “it’s like it has a mind of its own now, one that wants to escape me.”

Hakyeon nodded slowly. “What happens if it does escape?” he asked quietly. He was already dreading the answer, but he had to ask anyway.

“It’ll burn and burn and burn until it goes out,” Taekwoon said, “so hopefully I’ll be at home when it dies. There’s nothing left to burn there.”

Hakyeon was about to ask what else could be done to stop this when he registered Leo’s last sentence. “Nothing left to burn? Where do you live?” he asked quietly.

“My village,” Taekwoon said quietly, “what’s left of it.” He supposed there was no point in hiding the truth if he wasn’t going to see Hakyeon again.

“What’s left of it?” Hakyeon whispered. “Leo, what happened?” he asked gently. He didn’t want to make the pyromancer upset by prying, but he couldn’t help the curiosity that took over.

“I lost control,” Taekwoon said simply, voice hollow, “I was too confident and I...I killed _everyone_ , Hakyeon.” It made him sick to think about it.

Hakyeon’s eyes widened and he immediately regretted asking. “I’m so sorry, Leo” he murmured as his hand came up to rub the pyromancer’s back gently.

“Taekwoon,” he said softly, “Jung Taekwoon. I’m sure you’ve heard the name.”

Hakyeon gasped lightly when Leo revealed his real name. “Taekwoon,” he breathed as the memories of where he had heard the name before come flooding back.

“Yeah,” Taekwoon said sadly, “that was me.” It was obvious that Hakyeon recognized the name. He was just waiting for the prince to call a guard and have him arrested.

“I’m so sorry,” Hakyeon murmured again. He couldn’t imagine the guilt that Leo must feel. “Please just... please take care of yourself,” Hakyeon could feel the pleading tone in his voice and he wasn’t quite sure where the concern for the pyromancer had suddenly come from.

“I can’t promise that,” Taekwoon said regretfully, hanging his head. Truthfully, he had no intentions of doing so whatsoever.

“You don’t have to perform any more,” Hakyeon said hurriedly, “I’m sure there are plenty of other things around the city you can do. Maybe you could even move into the city.” He said the last sentence cautiously not wanting to upset the pyromancer.

“And risk killing everyone? Again? I can’t do that, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said harshly. He didn’t mean to sound so angry, but he needed to get it through Hakyeon’s head. It wasn’t safe to be around him.

Hakyeon frowned and opened his mouth, but was cut off by the sound of shouting. Suddenly four mounted guards surrounded him and Taekwoon. Hakyeon quickly scrambled to his feet as the guards dismounted and approached the pair, swords drawn.

Taekwoon scrambled to his feet, ready to fight anyone before realizing that their attackers were in fact palace guards. They’d been caught.

“Step away from the crown prince,” the first guard ordered as he and another approached Taekwoon. A third guard quickly pulled Hakyeon away and over to the horses. “Wait!” Hakyeon cried as the guards forced Taekwoon to his knees to question him, “he wasn’t keeping me here. I stayed on my own.” The guards ignored Hakyeon and forced the pyromancer’s hands behind his back to tie them. Hakyeon sucked in a deep breath and drew himself to his full height. “Do not hurt him or there will be consequences to pay. He has done no wrong and I ask that you let him go. He is not a prisoner and should not be treated as such,” he said darkly. The first guard took one look at Taekwoon before hauling him to his feet. “I’m sure the King would love to hear this story,” he said.

Taekwoon felt the fire itching to burn at the rope around his wrists and nearly asked the guards if they perhaps had metal. He didn’t though. He couldn’t give himself away like that. It would only lead to his death.

Hakyeon shot Taekwoon an apologetic look. If he had been more careful the pyromancer never would have had to deal with this. Alas, the two were strung along to the castle and soon found themselves standing at the foot of the throne, while the King stared down at them.

Taekwoon dropped to his knees, posturing himself to the king. Maybe a stone cell would be good for him. He couldn’t burn stone.

“Who are you and what were you doing keeping the crown prince out of the castle so late?” the King asked flatly. “He wasn’t keeping me-“ Hakyeon began but was quickly cut off. “I wasn’t asking you, Hakyeon,” he growled, “now answer my question.” He turned toward Taekwoon waiting for an excuse as to why he was spotted with Hakyeon.

“With all due respect, the crown prince came to see me,” Taekwoon said lowly, “he’s been coming to see my shows for months now.” He hoped that wouldn’t get Hakyeon into too much trouble.

The King turned angrily towards Hakyeon, “explain to me why this man is lying for you.” Hakyeon’s mouth slipped into a hard line. “He’s not. The nights that I have been sneaking out have been to see his shows. He never forced me to stay,” he said flatly. The King’s eyes widened and he leaned back in his throne. “What exactly are these shows of yours?” the King asked, addressing Taekwoon.

With a sigh, Taekwoon allowed the fire to burn through the ropes around his hands. He created a small ball of fire in his cupped palms and held it up for the king to see. “I am a pyromancer,” he admitted.

The King’s eyes widened as he realized who was standing in front of him. “Jung Taekwoon,” he mused, “you seem to have gained a lot of control since I last saw you.”

Taekwoon kept his head down, letting the fire in his hands sputter out. He didn’t say anything.

“I have no need for someone so dangerous to be kept in my presence. Bring him to the outskirts and ensure that he does not enter the city limits again,” the King said. “Wait,” Hakyeon said as the guards begin to step forward, “we’ve been in need of entertainment for all the guests coming and Taekwoon’s shows are quite brilliant.” “No, Hakyeon, this is not up for discussion. He is dangerous,” the King said cutting off the crown prince. “If he stays here he can provide entertainment for me as well. That way I won’t have to sneak out to see his show. I haven’t gotten injured seeing him yet. Think of how impressed all our guests will be if we have a pyromancer in our court,” Hakyeon said quickly, ignoring his father’s interruption. The King sighed, “for the time being you will remain here under close watch. You will summoned in three days to prove to me that you have control of your powers and I will decide what to do with you then.”

Taekwoon was grateful that Hakyeon was defending him, but he felt that it was useless. There was no point. He’d get an extra three days in the city then banishment, if not death.

“Take him downstairs,” the King ordered his guards, “put him a cell but leave him unshackled for now.” “How is he supposed to entertain me if he’s locked up?” Hakyeon asked. He tried not to smirk as his father shot him a glare, meaning that he had won. “He could practice what he plans to show you for me so that I can deem it satisfactory for your audience,” he added. Hakyeon knew exactly how to twist his father’s arm to get want he wanted and he watched gleefully as his father scowled. “Move him to the west wing,” the King finally said to the guards, “he is not to leave the room unless Hakyeon summons him.”

“I can walk on my own, thank you,” Taekwoon grumbled as he was hauled to his feet and manhandled toward the door. A few angry sparks fell from his fingers but died before they could reach the floor.

“Bring him to my chambers,” Hakyeon called after the guards, “I’ll be up in a few minutes.” With that he turned his attention to his father and waited for the guards to leave with Taekwoon.

Taekwoon pulled his arms from the insistent grips of the guards and simply walked between them as they escorted him up to Hakyeon’s chambers. He was nervous about where this was going.

“Why must you defy me, Hakyeon? I have no use for someone as dangerous as him and I _especially_ don’t need you near him, lest you get hurt so close to the wedding,” the King said flatly. Hakyeon’s hands curled into fists at the mention of the wedding. “I like his shows and keeping him here means that I don’t have to sneak out, it simply makes my life easier,” Hakyeon winced internally. He didn’t want to keep Taekwoon here simply for his own purposes, but he had no other way to convinced his father. “If he cannot prove to me he has control of his powers in three days he will be banned from the city so I suggest you enjoy his shows while you can,” the King said, “you are dismissed.” Hakyeon bowed and made his way out of the throne room. “And don’t get too distracted, you have a bride to prepare for,” the King called after him. With a sad sigh Hakyeon left the throne room and made his way to his chambers.

Taekwoon sat near Hakyeon’s window, as far away from flammable material as he could. He still didn’t feel confident enough in his control to be near any potential fuel.

Hakyeon made his way up the stairs as fast as he could without getting chastised for carelessness. He dismissed the guards standing outside his door, explaining that he would escort Taekwoon to where he would be staying himself. “I’m sorry,” Hakyeon said as he entered the room, “I don’t like to act like that if I can help it.”

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon said, “I understand. You didn’t need to defend me though. It’s better for me to be far away from here.”

"You don't need to perform anymore if you don't want to," Hakyeon said softly, "but being here is better than alone. Since you’re a lot closer I can help you too." Hakyeon slipped out of his robe and walked across the room to hang the garment in his wardrobe.

Taekwoon laughed hollowly. “I have no choice now,” he said, “if I don’t perform and perform well, he’ll certainly put me to death. You’ve trapped me in an ultimatum, Hakyeon.”

"He won't put you to death," Hakyeon said confidently, "I won't let him. As long as you can prove you have control, I can handle the rest."

“That’s the thing, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said, suddenly angry, “I _don’t_ . I don’t have control anymore. I probably never really did. There’s a _reason_ born pyromancers never live past their teens.”

Hakyeon frowned as Taekwoon's tone turned dark. "What happened all of the sudden? Your shows were going seamlessly until..." he trailed off, pushing the image of the pyromancer being struck with the fireball from his mind.

Taekwoon nodded. “That fireball knocked my hold loose,” he said, “all the control I had disappeared the moment I let go of those flames because I’ve been holding in all of the fire that killed my village too, for years. The second I let that fireball go, I opened the door for the rest of it to get out, and I don’t know how long that’s going to take.”

“Oh no,” Hakyeon whispered sadly, more to himself than anything. “What can we do to fix it?” he asked as he sat down on his bed.

“Let it burn itself out,” Taekwoon said, “but I’m scared that if burning out doesn’t kill me, it’ll take away my fire completely. I don’t want that, Hakyeon.” He didn’t like to admit when he was afraid. The worst part about being so afraid was that there was no one he could turn to who would understand. He was the single oldest born pyromancer in the known world. There was no one who could say that it would get better.

Hakyeon quickly stood up and made his way over to where Taekwoon sat. “Everything’s going to be okay. I know it’s scary, but we’ll figure something out. I promise,” Hakyeon said quietly. He truly had no idea if everything was going to be okay, he didn’t even know what he was going to do. All he wanted to do was keep the pyromancer safe, he owed that much to him.

Taekwoon took a shuddering breath, brushing tears off of his face. He was stronger than this, so much stronger. “It’s fine, I’ll be fine,” he said fiercely.

“That’s the spirit,” Hakyeon said quietly. He sighed sadly as he slowly reached over to wipe a lone tear that ran down Taekwoon’s cheek. Hakyeon slipped his hands back into his pocket, not quite sure what to do with them and his fingers brushed the now cool disk. He spun the object around before taking a deep breath. “The show you did that caused this to glow,” Hakyeon began as he pulled the disk from his pocket, “that was… was it… those boys were us, weren’t they?” He mumbled his sentence, hoping he didn’t offend Taekwoon. He knew it was a dumb question, but he couldn’t help asking anyway.

“Yes,” Taekwoon said quietly, “I’ve known who you were since I was a little kid. It’s hard not to.” Hakyeon was a prince and Taekwoon was just a little street kid with sparks falling out of his fingers, all those years ago.

Hakyeon sighed again and turned his head down. “I remember the parade,” he began slowly, “I never thought I’d see you again after that, but fate has a funny way of working. I begged the guards to take me to find you after, but they refused.” Hakyeon smiled sadly as he remembered pleading with his father and then the guards to take him into the city to meet the boy who wanted to help him. He simply wanted a friend, but according to his father, a prince cannot spend his time playing with commoners. 

“I didn’t even realize who you were,” Taekwoon said, shaking his head, “I got such a reaming from my mother afterward. About how I shouldn’t touch people because I could hurt them and how I especially shouldn’t touch the crown prince. It was deserved, but harsh for a little kid.”

“That is harsh,” Hakyeon whispered. He thought back to the scolding he received from his father about how it was improper for princes to play around, let alone leave the castle. “I wonder what could have happened if things were different. If I wasn’t the crown prince we could have been friends a long time ago,” he added.

“I saw you again, at another parade,” Taekwoon said with a soft smile, “I got such a beating for sneaking out, but it was worth it. You were my gay awakening, Cha Hakyeon.”

“You snuck out to see me?” Hakyeon asked in disbelief. He blushed lightly and turned away shyly, “I...uh...I don’t know what to say, but you can do a lot better than me you know.” He never thought someone would make such an effort to see him, well being the crown prince many people made an effort to see him. But this, this was so much different.

“I snuck out to see the parade,” Taekwoon clarified, “you were...an added bonus. You made the punishment worth it, I should say.” Taekwoon didn’t really know _what_ he was saying, only that he was definitely making it worse.

“Right right,” Hakyeon chuckled. He didn’t need to ask about the scene depicting Taekwoon’s village burning, but what he did need to ask about, was the ending. “What about the last scene?” he asked. He knew it wasn’t an event of the past and wondered if it was meant to be a hope for the future.

“I debated making it different,” Taekwoon said, “but those sorts of things aren’t supposed to be acknowledged in public.” He hoped the implication was clear, that he wanted the scene to be more explicit than just holding hands.

Hakyeon’s eyes widened slowly as he felt the blush in his cheeks rise higher. “Hopefully society will change its mind one day,” he said sadly. He understood why Taekwoon was careful, they had to be, especially Hakyeon. His mother had warned him when he was much younger to keep his feelings to himself and to not tell his father. He heeded her warnings and kept his true feelings hidden from the King, and the citizens, which only made his inevitable wedding that much harder to think about.

“One day,” Taekwoon echoed, watching Hakyeon carefully, “that’s it, isn’t it? It’s always just...someday. In the future. Maybe. Never now. Why not now?”

“People have a hard time with change, especially when it comes to big things like this. Granted if the royal family was more accepting maybe it would be different. Seeing as my father is not one to stray away from tradition it can’t be now, but when I become King... well that will be a different story,” Hakyeon replied. Taekwoon raised a good point, why couldn’t they do something now. Well they could, there was nothing that was exclusively forbidding them. “Why not now?” Hakyeon whispered under his breath.

Taekwoon stood up from where he had slouched to the floor and approached Hakyeon until they were practically chest to chest. Hesitantly, he placed a hand on the crown prince’s arm. “Why not now?” he repeated softly.

Hakyeon’s eyes widened as he locked eyes with Taekwoon. He sucked in a breath when the pyromancer stopped, their faces just inches away. His eyes flicked down to Taekwoon’s lips before darting back up. He was frozen in place, too scared to move.

Taking a deep breath, Taekwoon stepped back. “I’m sorry, I overstepped my boundaries,” he said, “you should get to bed. I’ll have the guards show me to my quarters.” He took Hakyeon’s hand and kissed his knuckles gently before making his way toward the door.

Hakyeon couldn’t help but feel disappointed when Taekwoon backed away after only kissing his hand. “If not now then when?” he asked as the pyromancer walked toward the door.

Taekwoon stopped in front of the door. “We shouldn’t at all,” he said sadly, “you’ll have to get married someday and we both know it could never be to me.” He hoped Hakyeon would let his heart break quietly.

Hakyeon frowned as he thought about his upcoming wedding. There were more moments than not when Hakyeon wished he wasn’t the crown prince, but he had never wished he was a commoner more than he did right now. “I know,” he finally mumbled sadly.

Taekwoon took a step back toward Hakyeon. “My heart wants to,” he assured the elder, “but my brain says we can’t and I’m not hopeful enough to ignore it.”

Hakyeon looked up hopefully when Taekwoon moved back towards him, but his face fell when he only took one step. “I wish everyone was free to follow their hearts,” he murmured sadly to himself. He wanted desperately to run across the room to Taekwoon, but he knew that would make everything that much harder.

“I wish everyone was free,” Taekwoon said sadly. He knew he should go, knew he should turn away, but he couldn’t.

Hakyeon took a few small steps closer to Taekwoon. “A lot of people don’t realize how free they are until they see others around them doing the same things they want to do. Change has to start somewhere,” he said quietly.

“When a commoner is more free than a crown prince, the world seems inverted,” Taekwoon said, looking down at his hands with a sad smile.

Hakyeon couldn’t help the dry chuckle that escaped his lips. “I would never wish upon anyone the lack of freedom I have. I mean sure being a prince grants its freedoms, but it takes away the ones I want most,” he said quietly. His heart grew heavier the longer the conversation went on and he looked up at Taekwoon, internally begging him to do something.

“If we could be free together,” Taekwoon started before shaking his head, “it doesn’t matter. It won’t happen.”

“Finish what you were going to say,” Hakyeon bit his lip at his commanding tone. “We’ll never know unless we try,” he said hurriedly, hoping Taekwoon would brush over his earlier comment.

“I don’t know what I was going to say,” Taekwoon said regretfully. He sighed. “Good night, Hakyeon.”

“Good night, Taekwoon,” Hakyeon said sadly. He slowly backed away from the pyromancer and watched him with sad eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” it was more a question than a statement. He didn’t want to assume the pyromancer would want to see him anymore.

“If you want to,” Taekwoon said, a little bitter. He would be trapped in a bedroom somewhere unless Hakyeon called for him. Maybe it was worth staying just to not be alone.

“I would love to,” Hakyeon said, a little too quickly, “it gets very lonely up here.”

“You dictate when I come and go,” Taekwoon said slowly, “that means I can’t go unless you dismiss me.” He paused. “Don’t dismiss me, Hakyeon.”

“I won’t,” Hakyeon said slowly. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked curiously at Taekwoon. The pyromancer was sending him a lot of mixed messages and he was simply confused.

Hakyeon didn’t seem to understand what Taekwoon was saying. If the crown prince didn’t dismiss him, he couldn’t be faulted for being found in his company. And if they happened to be sharing a bed, well, it would just be because of the crown prince’s hospitality.

Hakyeon tilted his head curiously and stared at Taekwoon for a moment. The wheels in his head slowly turned until everything clicked into place. Not dismissing Taekwoon meant that the pyromancer had to stay, and him suggesting that meant that he _wanted_ to stay. “If you’re going to be staying for a little longer you might as well make yourself comfortable. I would be a terrible host if I made you stand at the door all night,” Hakyeon finally said.

“And where should I do that?” Taekwoon said, taking another few steps back into the room and toward Hakyeon.

“Anywhere you would like,” Hakyeon said gesturing to the room, “although the bed is the most comfortable spot in my opinion.” As he said this he made his way to the bed and sat down lightly, on the edge.

“It’s too hot to wear my robe,” Taekwoon said slowly, “and I’ll get ash all over your sheets.” He was still covered in the dark substance from the show.

“Hm, you aren’t much taller than me,” Hakyeon commented as he stood to make his way over to the wardrobe, “I have some extra clothes in the bottom you can try and if those don’t fit I will have some brought up.” He handed Taekwoon a smile pile of extra clothes, “try these and I’ll be right back.” He grabbed his own clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to get changed and wash up.

“I’ll get ash on your nice silk clothes,” Taekwoon called after Hakyeon. The older man was so oblivious and it was really fucking cute. Maybe this was the confidence boost that Taekwoon needed.

Hakyeon reappeared from the bathroom a few minutes later, feeling much more refreshed. He frowned when he saw Taekwoon standing there, clothes in hand. “Did they not fit?” he asked.

“I’m going to get them dirty,” Taekwoon said again, slower this time. He obviously needed to wash up and while he didn’t want to push Hakyeon to join him, he absolutely wanted Hakyeon to join him.

“I’m not worried about my clothes but you can take a shower if you’d like,” Hakyeon said, “you’d probably be more comfortable once you wash up anyway. Follow me, the shower is in here.” Hakyeon quickly threw his dirty clothes to the side and led Taekwoon into the bathroom.

Taekwoon followed Hakyeon, lengthening his strides until he was right behind the prince. The bathroom was ridiculously huge, more lavish than anything Taekwoon had ever seen, and it took all he had to not gape.

Hakyeon pulled a couple of towels from underneath the vanity. “You can use these,” Hakyeon said as he placed them on the vanity. He turned around to leave and walked right into Taekwoon, not realizing he was so close behind. “I’m sorry,” he quickly mumbled as he took a small step back.

Taekwoon caught Hakyeon’s waist, hand sneaking under his shirt, and pulled him close again. “For a prince, you’re quite inattentive,” he said softly before closing the small gap and kissing Hakyeon deeply. He pulled away after just a few seconds. “Oops,” he whispered, “got you dirty.”

Hakyeon gasped when Taekwoon pulled him close and suddenly there was a pair of lips on his own. He closed his eyes and instinctively leaned into the kiss. Taekwoon’s lips were softer than he’d imagined and Hakyeon sighed sadly when he pulled away. Hakyeon smiled, but didn’t move away, “that’s okay. I can wash up again.”

“Why waste the water?” Taekwoon said, “the shower’s certainly big enough for the two of us.” He hoped that wouldn’t fly over Hakyeon’s head as all his other words had.

Hakyeon’s eyes widened. “I...are you sure...we don’t have to...but we can,” he mumbled. He looked down at the floor in embarrassment. Hakyeon was usually very good with words, but for some reason the pyromancer left him completely flustered.

“It’s just a shower, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said soothingly, “nothing complicated. Come shower with me and maybe I’ll kiss you again.”

Hakyeon raised his eyes, the prospect of another kiss peaking his interest. “Okay,” he said quietly as he slowly slipped off his shirt, a blush rising in his cheeks as he dropped the garment to the floor.

Taekwoon divested himself of his robe and pants, waiting for Hakyeon. “You’ll have to show me how to use this,” he said, “I’ve never used a shower in my life.”

“Oh it’s quite simple,” Hakyeon said as he slowly stepped out of his pants. “You turn this knob,” he said as he completed the action, “and then the water comes from up there.” A stream of water erupted from the shower head and Hakyeon reached his hand out to test the temperature. “You can adjust how hot or cold it is too,” he said as he fiddled with the knob. Once he was satisfied with the water temperature, he stepped in.

Taekwoon stepped into the shower after Hakyeon, closing the shower door behind him. He used the spray to rinse the ash off his hands then crowded close to Hakyeon, placing his hands on the prince’s waist.

Hakyeon gasped at the suddenness of Taekwoon’s actions. He hummed happily at the feeling of the pyromancer’s hands on his waist and stepped closer. “Am I getting that kiss you promised me?” he asked, looking expectantly at Taekwoon.

“If you want it, you can come and take it,” Taekwoon said, moving his hands slowly up and down Hakyeon’s sides. The elder was gorgeous, all soft, golden skin and long lines.

Hakyeon shuddered as Taekwoon’s hands ran along his sides. He huffed quietly, but picked his head up to gently press his lips again Taekwoon’s. His hands came up to rest on the pyromancer’s chest and he sighed happily into the kiss.

Taekwoon kisses Hakyeon back easily. He had been waiting for this moment for what felt like forever. Hakyeon’s lips were so plush and soft and Taekwoon carefully walked him back until his back hit the shower wall.

Hakyeon gasped when his back hit the cool shower wall. He panicked for a moment before calming himself back down and eagerly returning the kiss.

Taekwoon moved his lips from Hakyeon’s mouth to his jaw and down his long neck, kissing every inch of the elder’s beautiful skin as he pressed their bodies together.

Hakyeon tipped his head back to lean against the shower wall. He shivered as Taekwoon’s wet lips pressed kisses down his jaw and neck. A low moan escaped his lips and he quickly clamped his mouth closed and bit his lower lip.

Taekwoon chuckled against Hakyeon’s throat. “It’s okay,” he said, “no one gonna hear you but me.” He kissed across the hollow of Hakyeon’s throat before starting up the other side of his neck.

Hakyeon let out a shaky breath as Taekwoon continued to leave a trail of kisses across his neck. He brought his hands up to drape them over Taekwoon’s broad shoulders. He closed his eyes as he began to pant slightly.

Taekwoon didn’t want to rush this, didn’t want to risk losing control, so he finally, finally pulled away, panting slightly. Hakyeon looked lost and disheveled, but in a good way. A fire in Taekwoon’s groin kind of way.

Hakyeon whined when Taekwoon pulled away, still panting. He swallowed nervously and kept an eye on the pyromancer, not sure what he would do next.

Taekwoon’s chest heaved as he thought about what he wanted to say. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Hakyeon,” he finally uttered, then, “will you help me get the ash off my back?”

Hakyeon felt the heat rising in his face, despite the coolness of the water. He had received plenty of similar compliments, but none as sincere as this one. “I could say the same thing about you,” Hakyeon murmured. “Now turn around so I can wash your back,” he ordered gently.

Taekwoon turned around, heaving a contented sigh. He placed a hand on the opposite wall to steady himself and hung his head. He was exhausted. It was probably nearly dawn by now.

Hakyeon quickly, but gently, cleaned the ask from Taekwoon’s back. “All set,” he said quietly when he was satisfied. He washed the ashy handprint from his own side and then turned the water off. Stepping out of the shower he wrapped a towel around his waist and handed a spare to Taekwoon.

Taekwoon quickly towelled himself dry and secured the soft cloth around his waist. He dressed in the clothes Hakyeon had lent him before following the prince back into the bedroom.

Once Hakyeon has slipped back into his clothes, he led Taekwoon from the bathroom. He quickly pulled the covers down from the bed and climbed in, scooting over so that Taekwoon had room to lie down.

“How heavy of a sleeper are you?” Taekwoon asked, suddenly nervous. With the way his control had been slipping lately, he was hesitant to fall asleep, especially next to the crown prince.

“Not very,” Hakyeon replied, “it depends on what’s going on, but I wake up pretty easily. Why?” He rolled onto his side to get a better look at Taekwoon.

Taekwoon hesitantly crawled into the space next to Hakyeon and pulled the elder close to his chest. “If I get any hotter than this, even just a degree, you have to wake me up immediately, okay?” With luck, he would actually cool down a bit as the fire slept as well, but he wasn’t always so fortunate.

Hakyeon quickly nodded as he snuggled into Taekwoon’s side, a hand coming up to rest on his chest. “I can do that,” he said through a yawn. “Good night, Taekwoon,” he murmured, and with that he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

“Good night, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon murmured. He wanted to force himself to stay awake longer but found that he simply couldn’t.

Hakyeon suddenly woke up covered in sweat and he yelped when his hand registered how hot Taekwoon’s chest was. Slowly he placed his hand on the pryomancer’s forehead, he winced when he felt how hot he was and quickly began shaking his shoulder. He truly didn’t want to wake Taekwoon, but he knew he had to. “Taekwoon,” he said gently, “Taekwoon, you’re hot, you need to wake up.”

Taekwoon woke with a gasp, chest heaving as he looked down at Hakyeon’s concerned face. Please, he begged himself silently, just cooperate for one night.

Hakyeon jumped slightly when Taekwoon suddenly shot up, but he calmed down quickly. “I didn’t want to wake you, but you’re hot,” he said gently, “is there anything I can do?”

Taekwoon shook his head, chest heaving. The one thing he did know was that contact with someone else would help siphon the heat away. Obviously the cuddling wasn’t working, so he resorted to softly kissing Hakyeon’s skin instead.

Hakyeon kept a nervous eye on Taekwoon after he shook his head. He watched as the pyromancer gently leaned towards him and began kissing his skin. “Taekwoon,” he sighed as he tipped his head back to expose more of his neck. Even though he wasn’t sure how this would help the pyromancer, Hakyeon wasn’t complaining.

Taekwoon kept the kisses soft; open mouthed, but soft nonetheless. Suddenly, he pulled away. “There’s a guard running for this room,” he said quietly, urgently, “he’s likely looking for me.”

Hakyeon frowned when Taekwoon pulled away, but leapt up from the bed immediately. He didn’t have time to question how Taekwoon knew before there was loud slamming on the door and it burst open. “We know he’s in here,” a guard yelled as he stepped into the room. Hakyeon quickly raised his hands to stop the man from entering the room and he pressed his lips together nervously when he caught sight of Taekwoon on his bed. “and what exactly is he doing here at this hour, in you bed no less?” the guard asked, “we can remove him to his own room if he is forcing you to keep him here.” Hakyeon quickly shook his head, “Taekwoon wasn’t feel well last evening so I had him stay here so I could keep an eye on him,” it wasn’t entirely a lie, but the guard didn’t need to know. “Shouldn’t he be brought down to the infirmary to be looked at properly?” the guard asked with a raised eyebrow. “No,” Hakyeon said sternly, “I don’t trust them to be attentive enough to take care of Taekwoon properly. Now, I am tired, so thank you for checking on me, but I am safe and do not need your help. You are dismissed.” “I will be stationed outside of the door. If you yell I will be able to hear you,” the guard said with a bow before exiting the room. Hakyeon quickly made his way to the door and locked it behind the guard. The moment the door was locked, Hakyeon flew across the room and back onto the bed. “I’m sorry,” he murmured as he ran a hand through Taekwoon’s hair. “How did you know he were coming?” he asked quietly.

“Heat signatures,” Taekwoon explained, resting a hand back on Hakyeon’s waist, “I can always tell where living things are because I can feel the heat from them. It’s a good warning system.”

Hakyeon hummed, “that is certainly very helpful.” He let his hand slip from Taekwoon’s hair so he could lie down again. Once he was on his side, he pressed himself against the pyromancer trying to get as close as possible.

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said shyly, “is it okay with you if we sleep with our shirts off? Skin to skin will help me not get so hot.” He fiddled with the hem of the prince’s loose sleep shirt.

“Of course,” Hakyeon said with a light smile. He sat up to slip the garment over his head. After dropping it to the floor, he laid back down to press himself against Taekwoon, hands coming up to rest against his firm chest.

Taekwoon stripped off his own shirt before settling back down and pulling Hakyeon close to him. He left one arm draped over the prince’s waist and used the other hand to tip Hakyeon’s chin up for a kiss.

Hakyeon hummed contently when Taekwoon pulled him closer. He let the pyromancer tip his chin up and, a little too eagerly, connected their lips.

“Go back to sleep, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said, kissing the prince on the forehead and tucking him under his chin, “I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?” Hakyeon asked quietly. He wanted to insist that he would stay up with Taekwoon, but he already felt his eyes beginning to droop again.

“Yes, baby,” Taekwoon said, letting the pet name slip unawares, “I’ll be fine now.” He wasn’t sure if it was true, but there was no use in keeping Hakyeon awake.

Hakyeon hummed happily at the pet name and hid his smile in Taekwoon’s neck. “Promise me you’ll wake me up if you need me,” Hakyeon said as he closed his eyes.

“Of course,” Taekwoon assured him, lifting his head to look down at the prince. He knew it was already well into the morning, but it seemed the prince didn’t have many duties. At least they would finally get some rest.

Hakyeon nodded, satisfied, and settled himself into Taekwoon’s side. With a little sigh he slowly drifted off to sleep, a small smile across his face.

Taekwoon fell asleep not long after Hakyeon, cozying up to the prince. He dreamed of taking Hakyeon away, far away, and living a normal life with him. When he finally woke, late in the afternoon, it was with a happy warmth in his chest.

Hakyeon blinked his eyes opened and whined at the strong sunlight that streamed through the window. He pressed closer to Taekwoon so he could hide his face in the younger man’s neck. “How are you?” he asked quietly.

“Chilly,” Taekwoon said happily. He hadn’t felt this cold in weeks and it was delightful. Maybe he could finally work on regaining his control now.

Hakyeon sat up and beamed as he looked down at Taekwoon. “Oh that’s wonderful!” he exclaimed. “You must be hungry,” he said thoughtfully, “I’ll send a guard to notify the kitchen to bring up some food for us.” Hakyeon poked his head out of the room to relay his instructions to the guard before relocking the door and making his way to the wardrobe.

Taekwoon sat up, letting the blanket fall to his waist. “You’re even more stunning in the daylight,” he said softly.

Hakyeon blushed and turned his head down, not hiding the smile that had spread across his lips very well. “It’s odd to receive genuine compliments,” he admitted as he fished fresh clothes from the drawer. He finally turned to face Taekwoon and he gasped lightly, eyes roaming over the pyromancer’s exposed torso.

“You deserve them,” Taekwoon said, reaching a hand out for Hakyeon. He wanted to kiss the elder and touch him everywhere.

Hakyeon quickly put the clothes down and made his way over to Taekwoon. He took the younger man’s hand in his own and interlocked their fingers. Despite wanting to climb into Taekwoon’s lap, Hakyeon was too nervous to so he settled for leaning down to kiss the pyromancer lightly from where he stood.

Taekwoon folded his legs and used his other hand on Hakyeon’s waist to guide the prince to sit in front of him. He kissed him again, deeper this time. Hakyeon was so...perfect.

Hakyeon let himself be pulled onto the bed and he pressed himself against Taekwoon. He sighed happily and eagerly kissed the pyromancer back. Taekwoon was an incredible kisser and he blushed as he wondered what else the younger man was good at.

Taekwoon pulled Hakyeon closer, almost onto his lap. He wanted the older man so much, but he also knew that they needed to be careful. They couldn’t risk going to far too fast.

Hakyeon shifted closer, his hand settling on Taekwoon’s thigh. He panted into the kiss but didn’t slow down. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Hakyeon leapt up, grateful that he had locked the door. He graciously accepted the tray of food from the kitchen staff and placed it on the desk. “I guess food is a worthy interruption,” Hakyeon said lightly.

Taekwoon sighed as Hakyeon pulled away from him. “I suppose I can forgive it if we get to eat in bed,” he said with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.

Hakyeon chuckled and turned around to lock the door behind them. He picked the tray back up and carried it over to the bed, placing it down in the middle. Climbing onto the bed after it, he sat down with his legs folded underneath himself. “Please have anything you’d like. I can ask for something else if you would prefer it,” Hakyeon said gesturing to the tray.

Taekwoon glanced around the tray and finally picked up a chocolate covered strawberry. “Say ah,” he said, holding the fruit up to Hakyeon’s mouth.

Hakyeon giggled before opening his mouth and taking a bite of the piece of fruit. He hummed happily as he chewed his snack. When he had swallowed, he opened his mouth again, hoping for another bite.

Taekwoon fed Hakyeon the rest of the strawberry and picked up another one for himself. He bit through half of it before holding the rest out to the prince.

Hakyeon happily finished his strawberry and picked around the tray for more fruit. “You don’t want it?” he asked as he leaned forward to take a bite of the half eaten strawberry.

“I’m not a big fruit person,” Taekwoon said with a soft smile. He picked up a cube of cheese instead and popped it in his mouth.

“Your loss,” Hakyeon said with a shrug as he ate the rest of the strawberry from Taekwoon’s fingers. With a contented sigh he settled himself on his stomach and laid his head on his crossed arms. He smiled softly as he looked up at Taekwoon, marveling at how breathtaking the pyromancer was.

Taekwoon set the platter to the side so he could lay down facing Hakyeon. He brushed a finger over the prince’s cheek gently.

Hakyeon smiled gently as he rolled onto his side, and scooted across the bed so he could press their bodies together. One of his hands came to rest on Taekwoon’s waist as he looked expectantly at the younger man.

Taekwoon kissed Hakyeon deeply, cupping his cheek carefully. He felt like he could break the prince at any moment, so he kept his hands careful. Pulling away, he pressed their foreheads together. “I want you so badly,” he admitted.

Hakyeon sighed sadly when Taekwoon broke away so soon, but his eyes quickly widened at the confession. “I’m right here,” he whispered softly. His voice betrayed how nervous he felt, but he completely trusted Taekwoon.

Taekwoon moved his hand down to Hakyeon’s hip and used it to flip the prince on his back. He settled himself above Hakyeon, one of his thighs sandwiched between the elder’s.

Hakyeon gasped loudly when Taekwoon suddenly flipped him on his back. He let out a shaky breath as he felt the pyromancer’s leg press between his thighs.

“Is this okay?” Taekwoon asked, hovering over the prince. He didn’t want to do anything Hakyeon wasn’t comfortable with.

Hakyeon nodded as one of his hands slid up Taekwoon’s back to rest on the back of his head. “Kiss me,” he said as he pulled the pyromancer down to connect their lips.

Taekwoon kissed Hakyeon deeply, moving one hand to cup the prince’s face. He moved his lips slowly, letting Hakyeon control the pace.

Hakyeon tilted his head into Taekwoon’s hand and happily deepened the kiss. In a burst of confidence, he nipped playfully at the pyromancer’s lower lip. He slowly pulled back, panting slightly. “Now what?” he asked as he peered up at Taekwoon.

“Whatever you want,” Taekwoon said. He dropped his hips slightly, pressing the slight bulge in his pants against Hakyeon’s thigh.

Hakyeon shuddered when the pyromancer pressed his hips down. He slowly lowered his hands to grab the hem of Taekwoon’s pants. To be perfectly honestly, Hakyeon didn’t know what he wanted, or even what to do, and he had hoped the younger man would take the lead. Chewing his lip nervously, Hakyeon focused on Taekwoon’s pants, not being able to bring himself to look up.

“I can’t know what you want, what you’re okay with, unless you tell me,” Taekwoon said gently. He turned his focus to peppering Hakyeon’s face with kisses, trying to get the elder to not look so serious.

“I don’t know,” Hakyeon whined as he pulled his face away from Taekwoon’s lips so he could bury it in the younger’s neck instead. “I just...I just want you,” he finally sighed.

Taekwoon smiles to himself. “What part of me?” he asked softly, “my hands? My mouth? Or maybe...” He pressed his hips on Hakyeon’s thigh. “Something else?”

Hakyeon whined again, louder this time. He kept his head buried in Taekwoon’s neck, while his hands continued to fiddle with the soft material of his pants. “Something...something else,” he whispered shakily. He could feel the heat in his cheeks and was grateful his face was hidden.

Taekwoon inhaled sharply and pulled back to look at Hakyeon. “Are you sure?” he asked seriously, “do you even have the necessary components for...something else?”

"I'm positive," Hakyeon whispered as he untucked his head from Taekwoon's head. He nodded sheepishly and gestured to his nightstand. "I want you," he repeated, much more confident this time.

Taekwoon sat up and leaned over to search through Hakyeon’s bedside table. He sighed regretfully when he only found oil and nothing else. “You don’t have everything we need to go all the way, baby,” he said gently.

Hakyeon sighed sadly and leaned back feeling disappointed. "We can still do this," he said quietly as he reached up to pull Taekwoon towards him again. He gently pushed his lips into the pyromancer's before slowly increasing the pace.

Taekwoon let Hakyeon kiss him again before pulling away to kiss down the elder’s tanned chest, stopping to scrape his teeth around a hardened nipple. He continued to kiss and nip his way down the prince’s stomach until he reached the hem of his pants.

Hakyeon pouted when Taekwoon broke the kiss and was about to pull the younger to him again when he began kissing down his torso. He gasped as Taekwoon's lips worked against his sensitive skin, sucking in a breath when the pyromancer stopped just about the hem of his pants.

"Can I take these off?" Taekwoon asked, looking up at Hakyeon for confirmation. It had been a while since he had done anything with anyone, but he wanted to see all of Hakyeon.

Hakyeon took a deep breath before nodding slowly. He trusted Taekwoon, but he still couldn’t help feeling nervous, considering he had never done something like this before. Hakyeon chewed nervously on his bottom lip as he raised his hips off the bed.

Taekwoon deftly untied the knot holding Hakyeon's pants up and carefully pulled them over the prince's hips. More and more of the elder's golden skin was revealed to him and he was just glad that Hakyeon trusted him so much.

Hakyeon could feel his hands shaking and quickly gripped the sheets beneath him, hoping Taekwoon wouldn’t notice. His breathing grew more shallow as he anxiously waited for the pyromancer to continue.

Taekwoon could feel Hakyeon's hips trembling under his hands and looked back up at the elder. "We don't have to continue," he said softly, "please don't force yourself to keep going if you're not comfortable, Hakyeon."

Hakyeon quickly shook his head. “I’m fine. I want this and I want you. I’m just…scared,” he mumbled. “I’ve never done anything like this before,” he admitted quietly, “but I trust you, Taekwoon.”

"You're shaking like a leaf," Taekwoon said with a frown, "and I know there's no way you're cold." There was also the fact that Hakyeon was almost completely soft, but he didn't want to embarrass the prince.

Hakyeon exhaled shakily, he didn’t want to disappoint Taekwoon, but maybe he wasn’t as ready as he thought he was. “Come here,” he commanded gently as he reached down to guide the pyromancer back up the bed.

Taekwoon let Hakyeon pull him back up the bed, carefully pulling the blanket with them to cover them both. It wasn't that he didn't want to see the prince - on the contrary, he could stare at Hakyeon's naked form all day if allowed - but he felt that the prince deserved some modesty.

Hakyeon sighed as he ran his fingers through Taekwoon’s hair. He let his hand stop for a moment on the back of the pyromancer’s neck so he could pull him close enough to connect their lips.

Taekwoon kissed Hakyeon softly, lacking some of the hunger from before. "It's okay if we don't do anything yet," he whispered as he pulled away, "we can move at your pace."

Hakyeon nodded slowly, he didn’t know what to think. He was grateful that Taekwoon was so considerate, but he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. He knew he disappointed the younger in some capacity, even if he wouldn’t admit it. Slowly he leaned up and nipped at the pyromancer’s lower lip, determined to have a little fun.

Taekwoon smiled and kissed Hakyeon with a little more force this time, tugging at the prince’s bottom lip with his teeth. He was never really much one for shoving his tongue in another person’s mouth, but he was a fan of biting.

Hakyeon felt his body relax as Taekwoon kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around the pyromancer’s neck so he could pull him closer.

Taekwoon was glad that the tension was leaving Hakyeon’s body. He pulled away with a final peck. “You should put your clothes on,” he said, “there’s someone in the hallway getting ready to bother your guards.”

Hakyeon huffed, but slipped off of the bed regardless. As much as he hated the interruption, it was good to know that Taekwoon could sense people coming. He quickly got dressed as he wondered what would have happened had they been in the middle of something. Striding over to the door, he could hear muffled talking and frowned when he realized who was with his guards. “Sunwoo, leave my guards alone,” he said sternly as he opened the door. He dismissed his guards, telling them not to come back until later that evening, and was promptly pushed aside as his brother made his way into the room.

Taekwoon sat cross legged on the bed, raising his eyebrows when a finely dressed young man pushed past Hakyeon. He knew that the prince had a younger brother, but he’d never actually seen Cha Sunwoo in person.

“You know father is angry you haven’t been…” Sunwoo stopped in his tracks when he noticed Taekwoon on the bed. “What exactly is the pyromancer doing in your bed?” he asked with a smirk as he turned to face the crown prince. Hakyeon sighed as he shut the door and turned to face his brother with crossed arms. “What do you want Sunwoo?” he asked, ignoring the question. Sunwoo shot a sideways glance at Taekwoon before continuing. “Father is angry you haven’t been meeting with the princesses so he selected one for you. I think he wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t resist. Congrats on your engagement,” he said gleefully. Hakyeon felt all of the color drain from his face. “He did what?” he whispered in disbelief. “Excuse me,” he said as he left the room and quickly made his way to the throne room.

Taekwoon was only somewhat surprised at what he heard. He knew Hakyeon would be pressured to find a wife at some point, but he didn’t think it would come so early or that the king would force him into an engagement. Once Hakyeon left, he was left alone with Sunwoo, who stared at him like he was some sort of zoo creature. Taekwoon sighed.

Hakyeon rushed into the throne room not bothering with the formalities. “What did you do?” Hakyeon asked desperately as he approached the King. “You have been neglecting your responsibilities in favor of being with the pyromancer,” he replied with a scowl. “We cannot delay the wedding any further so I have selected a princess for you. Her name is Hyeon Hana and you will meet her first thing tomorrow morning. The wedding is scheduled for one week from tomorrow and it will _not_ be delayed for any circumstance. Do you understand?” “You can’t do this,” Hakyeon replied meekly. “You left me with no choice, Hakyeon. Now do you understand?” “Yes,” Hakyeon said as he hung his head, arguing was futile and would only waste time. “Good. You are dismissed and I expected you to be on time tomorrow. The consequences will be severe, and considering how fond you are of your new friend, I would think twice about being late.” Hakyeon’s eyes widened at the threat and he bowed slightly before leaving the throne room. He made his way back to his chambers slowly, his chest tightening as he walked.

“Well? Are you gonna do a trick or are you just useless?” Sunwoo asked haughtily. Taekwoon raised an eyebrow. “I’m only supposed to do tricks in front of your brother,” he lied, smirking, “I’m too dangerous to perform around the king’s favorite, less capable son.”

Hakyeon heard Sunwoo talking loudly as he reentered the room. “What’s the problem Sunwoo?” he asked flatly, he was in no mood to be dealing with his brother at the moment. “He won’t do a trick _and_ had the audacity to insult me,” Sunwoo spat. “Maybe if you weren’t so entitled we wouldn’t have this problem,” Hakyeon replied flatly. He held up a hand when Sunwoo opened his mouth to protest. “You are dismissed, Sunwoo. I have bigger things to worry about then your feelings,” he added tiredly. “Just because you’re the crown prince doesn’t make you immune from all punishments,” Sunwoo growled as he stalked from the room. Hakyeon sighed sadly as he turned around to lock the door behind his brother. “I apologize for my brother’s behavior,” Hakyeon said quietly as he headed into the bathroom, head down. He couldn’t stand to look at Taekwoon. The pyromancer was probably angry with him for not telling him about the upcoming wedding, and Hakyeon didn’t blame him.

Taekwoon stood quickly and grabbed Hakyeon’s wrist before the elder could disappear into the bathroom. “Are you okay?” he asked gently as he pulled the crown prince toward him.

Hakyeon let Taekwoon pull him towards him, too tired to resist. “I’m fine,” he lied, he knew the pyromancer wouldn’t believe him, but that was all he could muster. “I’m sorry. I should have told you,” he whispered as he tucked his head into Taekwoon’s neck.

“Hey, no, it’s okay,” Taekwoon said softly, “everything that happened last night was so quick and you hadn’t seen me for months before that. Besides, it doesn’t have to mean a single thing for us.”

“You aren’t angry?” Hakyeon asked as he picked his head up. He stared nervously at Taekwoon as if expecting him to still lash out.

“Why would I be angry?” Taekwoon said, “it’s very obvious that you’re not being given a choice in the matter.” Even if Hakyeon was, Taekwoon couldn’t be angry. Plenty of men still slept with men as soon as their wives had a baby or two.

“I should have told you,” Hakyeon repeated. He smiled softly when he realized that Taekwoon truly wasn’t angry. “Enough about this for now,” he said quietly, “let’s enjoy the rest of our day.” 

“Yes,” Taekwoon agreed. He fell back on the bed and pulled Hakyeon on top of him. “This seems pretty comfortable.”

Hakyeon’s smile widened when Taekwoon pulled him onto the bed. He hummed in agreement before leaning down to press a gentle kiss against the pyromancer’s lips.

Taekwoon kisses back with a little force before rolling them over and pushing Hakyeon’s hands above his head. “Now where were we?” he asked.

Hakyeon gasped when he was flipped over and his hands were pinned above his head. He tried to free his wrists and faked a pout when he realized Taekwoon’s grip was too strong. “I don’t know, you tell me,” he said as he stared up at the pyromancer.

“You know,” Taekwoon said, sitting up, “I do have to actually practice if you want me to stick around. How opposed would you be to me practicing on you?”

“Practicing on me?” Hakyeon asked as he raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what to expect, but he trusted the pyromancer. “I’m not opposed at all,” he finally said, “show me what you have up your sleeve, Taekwoon.”

“It’s probably safer for you to take off your clothes,” Taekwoon said casually, “y’know, to make sure they don’t catch on fire.”

Hakyeon nodded, eyes widening slightly. “Are you going to help me or do I have to do it myself?” he asked, as a light blush spread across his cheeks.

“The crown prince is willing to strip himself for me?” Taekwoon teased, “I think I have to watch that.”

Hakyeon whined as his plan backfired before his eyes. “Fine,” he grumbled as he sat up. He grabbed the edges of his shirt before slowly pulling the garment over his head and dropping it to the floor. Wrapping his arms around Taekwoon’s neck, he pulled the pyromancer down with him as he laid back. A smile spread across his lips as he eagerly kissed the younger.

“What would your new wife think if I sent you to her in the morning with your neck all marked up?” Taekwoon hummed as he nosed his way down to Hakyeon’s pulse point and pressed a soft kiss there.

Hakyeon sucked in a breath at the thought of him appearing in the throne room first thing in the morning with bruises adorning his neck. He hummed as Taekwoon pressed his lips to his neck and eagerly tipped his head back.

“She might get upset,” Taekwoon mused, “and your father would be fucking furious. All the more reason to do it, right?” He sucked gently on Hakyeon’s pulse point, making the area a pale red.

Hakyeon squirmed under Taekwoon’s lips, but not because he didn’t enjoy it. On the contrary, he was enjoying this a little too much. The thought of enraging his father in the ultimate act of defiance had him lifting his neck into the pyromancer’s lips, urging him to do more.

Taekwoon felt Hakyeon’s neck press more insistently into his lips and smirked before pulling away. “Let’s save that for after he decides to not have me killed,” he said softly, pecking Hakyeon’s lips instead, “you can still get away with hiding your wrists for now. Your neck, not so much.”

Hakyeon whined and pouted when the pyromancer pulled away from his neck. “You are such a tease, Jung Taekwoon,” he huffed. 

Taekwoon just grinned and let his hands drop to Hakyeon’s waistband. He looked up to the prince for permission.

With a shaky sigh Hakyeon slowly nodded. He raised his hips into Taekwoon’s hands, much less nervous this time.

Taekwoon carefully pulled Hakyeon’s pants down over his hips and wrapped a dry hand around the elder’s cock, stroking it a few times.

Hakyeon gasped loudly when Taekwoon took hold of his cock. He tipped his head back and moaned lowly at the friction the pyromancer’s dry hand created. Subconsciously he pushed his hips up, blushing when he realized what he had done.

Taekwoon switched hands and leaned over Hakyeon, digging the small pot of oil out of the prince’s bedside drawer. He covered his hands in it, making his strokes much more smooth.

Hakyeon moaned again as Taekwoon continued to stroke his hands up and down. He gripped the sheets beneath him, but that wasn’t enough. Instead he reached his hands up to wrap themselves around the pyromancer’s neck.

Hakyeon was so sensitive and Taekwoon thought it was beautiful. This beautiful prince was completely untouched and yet was laying himself out, completely at the younger’s mercy. It was exhilarating. “Have you ever fingered yourself?” he asked breathlessly.

Hakyeon whined at the question. He didn’t like admitting how inexperienced he was, but he knew lying to Taekwoon was futile. “N-no,” he finally gasped out.

God, Hakyeon really was completely untouched. Taekwoon smiled wordlessly and lowered his head, taking the head of Hakyeon’s cock into his mouth and sucking gently.

Hakyeon moaned loudly as Taekwoon’s lips closed around the head of his cock. One of his hands gripped the pyromancer’s shoulders, while the other buried itself in his hair. Hakyeon didn’t have time to feel embarrassed by how sensitive he was, too focused on the pleasure that surged through his body.

Taekwoon bobbed his head slightly, sucking lightly. Hakyeon’s reactions were stunning, but Taekwoon could barely focus. “I think I need to restrain you, my love,” he said.

“R-restrain me?” Hakyeon panted, barely registering the words. He laid there, breathing heavily, as he watched Taekwoon curiously. After a few moments of recollecting himself, Hakyeon realized this must be what the pyromancer meant when he said he wanted to practice on him.

“If that’s okay,” Taekwoon amended. He didn’t want to pressure Hakyeon into anything.

“You’re so considerate, Taekwoon-ah,” Hakyeon hummed. Considering his inexperience, he was incredibly grateful how careful Taekwoon was being with him, although he had to convince the younger he wasn’t made of glass. “I trust you,” he whispered as he combed his fingers through the pyromancer’s hair, “you do have to practice after all.”

Taekwoon set his hands on Hakyeon’s waist, watching as strands of warm red flame flowed from his fingertips. They travelled slowly over the prince’s tanned skin and up his arms until they reached his wrists. Wrapping themselves around Hakyeon’s wrists, they tugged, gently pulling his hands up above his head. Once they were settled where Taekwoon wanted them, the other end cut off from his fingers and looped around the headboard. “Let me know if they start to get hot. They should just be nice and warm,” he said seriously.

Hakyeon let his hands be pulled above his head. He was fascinated by the strands of fire and how they were warm like Taekwoon promised. Hakyeon tugged slightly on the restraints when they were tied to the headboard, marveling at how they held. Turning his attention back to the pyromancer, he looked up at him with hooded eyes. “What else do you have up your sleeves?” he asked lowly.

Taekwoon just smirked and took Hakyeon’s cock back into his mouth. He started bobbing his head slowly, getting a little sloppy for the sake of ease.

Hakyeon tipped his head back as a low moan escaped his lips. He pulled against his restraints, wishing he could fist his hands in Taekwoon’s hair again. With a whine of defeat, he relaxed his hands and focused on his breathing as he felt himself crawl slowly towards the edge.

Taekwoon flicked his eyes down, working on getting his mouth around all of Hakyeon’s cock. Absently, he reached for the pot of oil and slicked up his fingers, stroking over the parts he couldn’t reach. Lowering his other hand, he pressed a finger to Hakyeon’s hole.

“Taekwoon-ah,” Hakyeon mewled as he reveled in the feeling of the younger’s mouth around his cock. He didn’t realize how needy he was until he pushed his hips down into the pyromancer’s waiting finger. Between Taekwoon’s hands and his mouth, Hakyeon barely noticed the restraints growing slightly warmer against his wrists.

Taekwoon took Hakyeon’s movements as a sign of consent and started slowly pushing a finger into the elder. He went as carefully as he could so as to not hurt the prince, all while keeping his mouth tight around his cock.

Hakyeon groaned loudly as Taekwoon’s finger slowly entered him. He pulled against the restraints again and hissed as he finally registered their heat. They weren’t burning him yet, but Hakyeon didn’t want to tell Taekwoon yet, out of fear the pyromancer would remove them. Hakyeon would never admit it, not yet at least, but being restrained turned him on more than he anticipated.

Taekwoon could feel Hakyeon growing harder in his mouth and it was an exhilarating feeling. He thrusted his finger slowly, wanting the prince to get used to the feeling before he even got close to adding another.

Hakyeon writhed at the feeling of Taekwoon’s long finger inside of him. Even though it was only one, it felt so good and he slowly rolled his hips, hoping to feel more. He was very impressed that the pyromancer was able to keep his focus strong enough to keep the strands of fire from snapping, but Hakyeon was determined to break it.

Taekwoon finally pulled away from Hakyeon’s cock, replacing his mouth with his hand instead. He stroked and thrusted his finger simultaneously, aiming to overwhelm Hakyeon. He wanted to make the prince cum before his own control snapped.

Hakyeon arched his back, pushing his hips into Taekwoon’s finger. Between the pyromancer finger and his hand, Hakyeon knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He groaned as he pulled against the fire barely holding his wrists back.

Taekwoon carefully pushed another finger into Hakyeon, pausing so that the prince could get used to the stretch. He would never forgive himself if he hurt Hakyeon.

Hakyeon gasp quickly morphed into a moan of pleasure. He sat for a moment before rolling his hips again, whimpering as he climbed closer to the edge. To his surprise, a strong pull on the restraints caused them to snap and he hissed as the fire burned the sensitive skin of his wrists. Hakyeon quickly forgot about his wrists as his hands flew to Taekwoon’s hair and shoulder, clinging on for dear life as he reached the edge.

Taekwoon was surprised when Hakyeon’s hand were suddenly in his hair and all but yanked himself away from the prince. He took Hakyeon’s hands out of his hair, holding them gently as he examined the burns on his wrists. “No, no, no,” he muttered to himself. How could this have happened?

Hakyeon whined loudly when Taekwoon pulled out his fingers and let go of his cock. “Taekwoon-ah,” he practically cried out, “why did you stop?” He looked down at the pyromancer’s hands around his wrists and his eyes widened as he took in the ugly red marks adorning his skin where the restraints used to be. “I’m fine,” he said gently as he tried to pull his wrists away.

“No, baby, you’re not,” Taekwoon said harshly, “these are bad. God, I should’ve never gone near you until I was more sure of myself.” Dropping Hakyeon’s hands, he got up and disappeared into the bathroom, appearing a few moments later with a small jar. “It’s isn’t burn salve but it’ll help,” he mumbled as he took Hakyeon’s wrists again and slathered the cream on them.

Hakyeon’s mouth opened but quickly closed again and he resorted to watching Taekwoon instead. He tried not to react as the pyromancer spread the cream across the burns, but he couldn’t help the small whimpers that escaped his lips.

Taekwoon realized that he was being rough when he heard Hakyeon whimper so he slowed his movements. He touched the reddened and bubbled skin gently. It was going to hurt no matter what, but he should at least be careful to keep it from hurting more than necessary. When he was done, he set the jar aside and stood up. “I’ll have a guard escort me to my room,” he said softly.

“No,” Hakyeon said quickly as he sat up. “Stay with me. Please,” he begged, “I’m fine, Taekwoon, and I’m not angry.” He truly didn’t want to be alone and he especially didn’t want Taekwoon to be alone because he knew the pyromancer would spend his time blaming himself. Reaching out a hand to the pyromancer, he hoped that he had convinced him to stay.

“Hakyeon, I _hurt_ you,” Taekwoon said. He was lashing out, but he wasn’t angry at the prince. He was angry at himself. “If your father wasn’t going to kill me before, he certainly is now.”

“He’s not going to kill you. He’s not even going to know what happened,” Hakyeon said gently. “Stay with me, please,” he said, a little firmer, “I want you to stay. I...I need you to stay.” He knew the risks associated with letting Taekwoon practice on him and he wasn’t angry that it hadn’t quite gone according to plan.

“I could’ve killed you, Hakyeon!” Taekwoon shouted, finally snapping, “at any point in the last day or so we’ve spent together, I-I could’ve burned you, or given you a fever, or seriously injured you! You’re going to have scars on your wrists for the rest of your life and it’s all because I got cocky!”

Hakyeon’s eyes widened at Taekwoon’s sudden outburst. He had never been afraid of the pyromancer before, but he was certainly wary now. He knew Taekwoon would never hurt him intentionally and that was all that mattered. He quickly dropped his head staring at the sheets as his fingers played with the material. “I agreed to this Taekwoon,” he began slowly, “I knew what I was getting myself into and I’m not mad. I’m not upset and I’m still not afraid.” He slowly trailed off, eyes still locked on his bed. There was so much more he wanted to say, but he was too fearful of pushing the pyromancer further away.

“ _I’m_ afraid,” Taekwoon said, “I have absolutely no idea, after almost thirty years, what kind of things I’m capable of, what kind of damage I could do, the different ways I could hurt someone. It isn’t _safe_ for me to be near you.”

Hakyeon slowly slipped from the bed, pulling his pants over his waist. He took a couple steps towards the pyromancer, careful to leave a little distance. “If I didn’t have faith in your ability to control your powers, I would not have allowed myself to get so close to you,” he said slowly, “I trust you, Taekwoon-ah, I really do. Maybe we should take things a bit slower until we figure out how much control you have.”

“None, I have none,” Taekwoon spat harshly. He had spent his entire life dedicated to making sure that he stayed in control and didn’t simply lose it like every other pyromancer, born or made, that he’d seen. There was nothing useful about power over fire. It was made only to harm.

Hakyeon took a step back and stared at his feet, hoping to hide the hurt that he knew was evident on his face. “You have to have some if you were able to perform all those shows,” he mumbled quietly.

“It only lasted for so long,” Taekwoon said, “a few hours at best. And now? It seems like I can’t go even a few minutes without it flaring up. I’m _dangerous_ , Hakyeon,” he finished sadly.

“We can fix this,” Hakyeon pleaded, still too nervous to raise his eyes, “you yourself said that contact helps siphon the heat away so I know you being alone in a different room will only make it worse. Please stay and we can figure out how to get your control back...together.” After taking a deep breath, he finally dared to look up, finally meeting the pyromancer’s gaze.

“And what about when you get too hot? Huh? When you start to develop a fever?” Taekwoon shook his head, lowering his gaze to the floor. “I can’t hurt you again.”

Hakyeon took a few small steps forward. “We can worry about that if it ever happens,” he said, “please let me help you. We’ll be careful this time.” Hakyeon sighed and stepped forward until he was within arms reach of Taekwoon. “I don’t want you to do this alone,” he said softly.

Taekwoon was barely holding himself together. He didn’t want to let Hakyeon go, but it was the better choice and the prince was making it so difficult. How was he supposed to let go if Hakyeon kept holding on so tight? His lip quivered.

Hakyeon’s chest ached as he watched Taekwoon slowly break down in front of him and he couldn’t take it anymore. “Come here,” he said with a soft sigh. He stepped closer so he could wrap his arms around Taekwoon and pull him against him. “Everything’s going to be okay. I promise,” he whispered as he gently rubbed the pyromancer’s back.

Taekwoon buckled, wrapping himself around Hakyeon as a sob finally escaped him. He was so terrified, so used to running. He had no idea what to do with someone actually supporting him like this.

Hakyeon slowly guided Taekwoon to bed and gently sat him down. He slid into the spot next to the pyromancer, wrapping his arms tightly around him. “Everything is going to be okay,” he repeated softly, “I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. You don’t have to do this alone anymore.” Hakyeon wasn’t quite sure how exactly he was going to help Taekwoon, but he was determined to, and that was all that mattered.

Taekwoon clung to Hakyeon. If his mysterious dark aura hadn’t disappeared before, it certainly had now. “Thank you,” he mumbled softly. It was almost like crying had cleared his head. He knew how to help himself now.

Hakyeon simply hummed in response and allowed one of his arms to unwrap itself from Taekwoon so he could take the pyromancer’s hand in his own. He sat there, content with the silence until Taekwoon had calmed down.

“I have an idea, but you have to hear me out first,” Taekwoon mumbled, taking a deep breath, “give me a prison cell. Or some sort of room or building that’s entirely stone. Just somewhere I can burn without hurting anyone.”

Hakyeon’s eyes widened and he tightened his grip on the pyromancer’s hand. “Somewhere you can burn? Taekwoon, no. I-I can’t do that. I...why would...please don’t say that,” Hakyeon said quickly. He took a deep breath and collected himself before continuing. “There are better solutions,” he said, much more coherently.

“That’s the only way I’m gonna be able to control it,” Taekwoon said, “I can’t risk it exploding outward, so I need somewhere that I can burn it off without hurting anyone.”

“Will that hurt you?” Hakyeon whispered. He really didn’t like the idea of this, but it didn’t look like he had any other options.

“It shouldn’t,” Taekwoon said, “if anything, it’ll be less painful. It’s like...taking a straining dam and letting some water out to relieve the pressure.”

Hakyeon nodded slowly. “As long as you won’t be hurt,” he whispered, “I’ll have the guards bring you to a stone cell tomorrow, while I’m...busy. Would you still like to spend the night here?” Hakyeon wanted Taekwoon to stay the night, but he didn’t want to force the pyromancer into anything he was uncomfortable with.

“Yes,” Taekwoon said, “please.” He didn’t want to leave Hakyeon’s side even for a second. Now that they were somewhat together, he had to take advantage of the little time they had.

Hakyeon smiled happily when Taekwoon agreed to stay the night. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then we can lie down,” he said as he pulled the pyromancer to his feet and guided him to the bathroom.

“I’m not the one covered in oil,” Taekwoon said, smiling slightly as he teased his...what could he call Hakyeon now? His lover? He settled on his lover for now.

Hakyeon chuckled, happy that Taekwoon was back to his teasing self. “Hm, considering that’s your fault I guess you’re going to have to help me get cleaned up instead,” he said as he made his way over to the shower to turn it on.

“Don’t make the water too hot,” Taekwoon said, “it’ll just make your wrists hurt more.” He would never forgive himself for hurting his lover. “Actually...why don’t we take a bath?”

“I’m fine,” Hakyeon said gently, and he meant it. He barely felt any pain from the burns although he was sure that would be a different story in the morning. “Although a bath does sound like a wonderful idea,” he added as he quickly turned the shower off and moved to fill the tub instead.

“If you get a chance, rub aloe on them,” Taekwoon instructed gently, ignoring Hakyeon’s claims that he was fine. In his eyes, he wasn’t.

Hakyeon huffed at Taekwoon’s concern, but smiled gratefully nonetheless. “I’ll put some on after our bath. I promise,” he said lightly. After the tub was filled, Hakyeon tested the water one last time before deeming it satisfactory. “Come on,” he said gently as he slipped out of this pants.

Taekwoon slipped out of his clothes and carefully climbed into the tub. He left room for Hakyeon to fit perfectly in his lap.

Hakyeon gently lowered himself into the tub, careful not to spill any water onto the floor. He happily settled into Taekwoon’s lap and laid his head against the pyromancer’s chest, humming contently when he was comfortable.

Taekwoon carefully cupped water in his hands and let it flow through Hakyeon’s hair until the prince’s head was fully soaked. He then started playing with it, combing through it and making tiny braids.

Hakyeon tilted his head into Taekwoon’s hand, reveling in the feeling of the pyromancer’s fingers running through his hair. He sighed quietly and let his eyes slowly close, enjoying this simple moment of just being with Taekwoon.

Taekwoon wrapped his arms around Hakyeon’s middle loosely, holding the prince like he was scared of losing him. He kissed the top of Hakyeon’s head gently.

Hakyeon hummed happily and pressed himself closer. “I want to stay like this forever,” he murmured. Lying here, Hakyeon could almost forget his meeting in the morning, the upcoming wedding, his father’s disapproval, and his brother’s antics. Lying here with Taekwoon, Hakyeon felt a sense of happiness, contentment, even calmness that had never graced the life of the prince before now.

“I wish we could,” Taekwoon agreed. Life simply wasn’t going to be like that for them. He was already dreading the prospect of having to share Hakyeon once the wedding happened, and they’d barely been together for a day.

“If only I wasn’t the crown prince,” Hakyeon said bitterly, “Sunwoo would happily take over if he could.” He sighed sadly and tried to push the thoughts from his head, for now he just wanted to enjoy this moment with Taekwoon.

“The formalities of the crown always confuse me,” Taekwoon said, “I know that the policy exists so that the princes don’t fight with each other, but if Sunwoo wants the crown and you don’t, then he should able to take it.”

“That would certainly be ideal,” Hakyeon said, “but the crown is passed down to the first born son and unfortunately there’s nothing I can do about that. If something were to happen to me though, then the crown would be passed to Sunwoo.”

“You mean if you died,” Taekwoon said, “they would never pass it to him unless they were certain you couldn’t come back and claim it.”

“Exactly,” Hakyeon said with a sigh. “I’m surprised Sunwoo hasn’t plotted how to get me out of this way yet,” he added with a dry chuckle.

Taekwoon smiled to himself. He knew exactly why Sunwoo hadn’t gotten Hakyeon out of his way yet; he was seeing a commoner man, another performer by the name of Junghwan, and wasn’t very subtle about hiding his face. Taekwoon didn’t know if Hakyeon knew this though, so he kept his mouth shut.

“Nevermind about this for now. If we sit here for much longer we’re going to turn into prunes,” Hakyeon said, not making an effort to get up.

“That’s okay,” Taekwoon said softly, “I’ll be pruny with you any day.” He kissed the top of Hakyeon’s head again.

Hakyeon smiled and relaxed further into Taekwoon’s arms. “A few more minutes,” he mumbled. He wanted to enjoy this, but his mind was racing a mile a minute trying to remember everything he had to prepare for tomorrow.

Taekwoon hushed Hakyeon. “I can hear you thinking a mile a minute, baby,” he murmured, “just relax. It’ll be fine.”

With a sad sigh, Hakyeon pushed the thoughts of tomorrow out of his head and instead focused them on Taekwoon. “You didn’t tell me you can read minds too,” he said quietly. 

“I can’t,” Taekwoon said, “you’re just so tense. It’s pretty obvious what you’re thinking about.” He rubbed his hands down Hakyeon‘s arms. The elder has goosebumps where he wasn’t covered by the water, so Taekwoon sank up to his neck, pulling the prince with him.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to ruin the mood,” Hakyeon said softly. He happily let Taekwoon pull him deeper into the warm water, shifting slightly so he could rest his head next to the pyromancer’s. If Hakyeon didn’t want to get out before, he certainly didn’t want to get out now.

Taekwoon shifted to the side so that he could turn his head and nose his way to Hakyeon’s lips. He sighed into the elder’s mouth.

Hakyeon turned his head slightly, gently kissing Taekwoon back. He relaxed into the kiss and felt the stress melt away as he set a slow, steady pace.

“Okay, it’s time to get out before we really do turn into prunes,” Taekwoon said, pulling back from Hakyeon and shifting the elder off of his lap. He stood up, offering a hand to the prince.

Hakyeon slowly stood up and took Taekwoon’s hand as he stepped out of the tub. He dried his body and hair before wrapping the towel around his waist. Stepping out of the room for a moment, he came back carrying fresh clothes for both of them and handed some to the pyromancer before changing into his own.

Taekwoon dried off and dressed himself in the clothes Hakyeon handed him. The pants were a little short, but not noticeably. It wasn’t like he had another option anyway.

Hakyeon frowned when he realized the clothes didn’t fit Taekwoon properly. “I’ll make sure that you get clothes that fit you tomorrow, but for now that’s all I have,” he said apologetically.

“They’re perfect, Hakyeon-ah,” Taekwoon said, “better than what I had at least.” He had never worn something so comfortable.

Hakyeon furrowed his eyebrows. “If you’re going to be staying here you need your own clothes. I’m not going to keep letting you wear clothes that don’t fit you,” he said as he busied himself picking up the dirty clothes and towels. Once the laundry was in a pile, he made his way over to a tall cabinet in the corner and pulled out a small jar of aloe.

Taekwoon followed Hakyeon, plucking the jar from his grasp. He opened it and sniffed it. “This is getting old,” he said as he gently took Hakyeon’s wrist in his hand and started spreading the salve over the burn, “you should see about getting some fresh aloe.”

Hakyeon let Taekwoon pull the jar from his hands and obediently held out his wrists. “I’m sure this will suffice for now, but I will get some more,” Hakyeon said. He stared at Taekwoon curiously as the pyromancer spread the aloe along the burns. His eyes roamed Taekwoon face and he smiled softly as he watched the younger’s concerned expression.

Taekwoon set the jar aside and disappeared into the bathroom. He returned with a few bandage strips and wrapped them around Hakyeon’s wounds, making sure they were secure but not too tight. The marks were less likely to scar if the blisters didn’t pop.

“Thank you, Taekwoon-ah,” Hakyeon murmured as the pyromancer bandaged his wrists. He pulled his sleeves down before making his way over to the door. After unlocking it, he ordered the guard to have the kitchen staff bring up fresh food, before disappeared back into the room. He ensured the tub was drained before finally crawling onto the bed and settling on his back with a loud sigh.

Taekwoon crawled into bed next to Hakyeon, laying on his stomach and turning his head to look at the prince. “No matter what happens tomorrow, I’ll still be here,” he said softly.

Hakyeon rolled on his side and rested his head on his arm. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Taekwoon-ah,” he said sincerely. It was odd having someone supportive by his side. Hakyeon was never close with his father or Sunwoo, and Eunwoo was only home for very special occasions. The only person he had ever had was his mother, but he lost her before he even turned eighteen.

“You didn’t have to do anything,” Taekwoon said, “just be you. No one is more or less deserving of having people that care about them.” Technically, he didn’t follow his own logic, but Hakyeon didn’t need to know that

Hakyeon smiled and sat up slightly so he could lean over and place a light kiss on Taekwoon’s lips. “Thank you,” he whispered as he pulled away. He had never been more determined to help the pyromancer than he was in this moment.

“I should be thanking you,” Taekwoon said, wrapping an arm around Hakyeon’s waist and pulling him closer, “you took a chance on me.”

Hakyeon happily let himself be pulled closer to Taekwoon. “It was the best chance I’ve ever taken,” he said softly. He couldn’t explain it but something about the pyromancer just made him content, happy, maybe it was just an infatuation, but maybe, maybe it was so much more.

Taekwoon wasn’t sure when he and Hakyeon had fallen asleep, but when he woke up, he found the prince still in his arms, dead to the world. Hakyeon looked so young when he slept.

The rest of the evening went by quicker than Hakyeon had hoped and before he knew it he was waking up. He didn’t even open his eyes and instead pressed closer to Taekwoon’s warm body with a soft sigh.

“Hakyeon-ah,” Taekwoon said softly, rubbing the elder’s back, “you need to get up and start getting ready.” He knew meeting his bride was the last thing Hakyeon wanted to do, but they both knew he had no choice.

Hakyeon exhaled shakily and finally dragged himself away from Taekwoon’s warmth. He placed a gentle kiss on the pyromancer’s lips before he disappeared into the bathroom to wash up and get dressed.

Taekwoon rolled onto his back. His eyes followed Hakyeon as the prince disappeared into the bathroom. He sighed, already knowing that today was not going to be good.

A few minutes later, Hakyeon exited the bathroom, adorned in his fanciest robes; they were a deep violet, with a thin layer of gold tracing the edges. He made his way to the wooden jewelry box that sat on his desk and placed the two thick gold bracelets he had over his wrists. Hakyeon had removed the bandages so the burns were much less conspicuous, although he knew the metal would irritate them throughout the day.

Taekwoon’s breath caught in his throat. Hakyeon was absolutely stunning in formal attire. The pyromancer couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering over the prince’s frame. “Wow,” he whispered, sitting up.

Hakyeon smiled as a blush spread across his cheeks. “I’ll take that as an approval,” he said with a small chuckle, too embarrassed to look up. Instead he focused on smoothing out his already wrinkle-free robes, trying to stop his hands from shaking.

“You have no idea,” Taekwoon murmured. He reached out, taking Hakyeon’s hands in his own, trying to quell the elder’s shaking. “I cannot wait to take these off of you tonight.”

Hakyeon felt the heat rise in his cheeks and knew there was no way to hide how red they were. He squeezed Taekwoon’s hands, already wishing the day was over so he could be back in the pyromancer’s arms. “I don’t know what I’m going to do today, when all I’m going to be thinking about is you,” he said as he stared at their intertwined hands.

“You’ll be back with me soon enough,” Taekwoon said, lifting their entwined hands to kiss Hakyeon’s knuckles, “now go before the guards start looking for you.”

Hakyeon nodded slowly and stole one last kiss before regretfully letting go of Taekwoon’s hands. “The guards will bring you anywhere or anything you may need today and I will be back around nightfall,” Hakyeon said as he headed towards the door.

Taekwoon smiled after Hakyeon, watching his lover go. “Love you,” he murmured to himself. With a sigh, he flopped back down in bed, determined to get another few hours of sleep.

Hakyeon made his way to the throne room, grateful the princess was already waiting for him so he wouldn’t be chastised further by his father. He graciously greeted Hana, bowing and taking her hand in his own to place a light kiss on the back of it. He was surprised at how beautiful she looked and how the light blue dress she was wearing complimented her eyes. After being sent off by the King, Hakyeon guided the princess to the gardens. They spent the next few hours asking each other questions and simply getting to know each other. Hakyeon was pleasantly surprised by how well they were able to converse and was grateful the day was not going as poorly as he anticipated.

Taekwoon slept for a few more hours before asking the guards to take him to a completely empty room. They stood guard outside and he let himself burn for hours. By the time he decided he was done, all his fingers were producing was a small candle flame.

Hakyeon and Hana shared stories of their childhoods over dinner and even got a few laughs out of them. He was grateful that the princess was friendly and easy to talk to, that would certainly make the arrangement much easier. Before he realized it, it was nightfall and Hakyeon escorted his new bride to where she would be staying for the duration of the week. The only good thing was that they were not expected to sleep together until after the wedding. He bid her goodnight, kissing her hand once more, and slowly made his way back to his chambers, a small smile settling on his lips.

Taekwoon had finally gone to his own chambers, where he found some simple clothing in his own size. After bathing and changing, he flopped on the bed, waiting for Hakyeon to summon him.

Hakyeon was disappointed but not surprised to find his room empty. He ordered a guard to bring Taekwoon to the room before quickly washing up and changing. He was done before the guard returned so he sat at his desk and stared out of the window at the city below while he waited.

Taekwoon followed the guard down the hall to Hakyeon’s room, letting himself into the chamber. “How was it today?” he asked softly as he shut the door.

Hakyeon jumped out of his chair when he heard the door creak open. “It went very well actually. Hana is very intelligent and friendly so I think we’re going to get along just fine,” he said excitedly. “How was your day?” he asked, much slower.

“That’s great,” Taekwoon said, plastering a smile on his face to conceal the pang he felt at Hakyeon’s excitement over his soon-to-be wife. “I spent the day burning.”

Hakyeon’s smile slipped from his face as he took a few steps closer to Taekwoon. “Did that help?” he asked gently.

“It did,” Taekwoon said. He lifted his hand and willed a flame into his palm. The resultant ball of fire was no more than a few inches in diameter. “This is the most I’ve gotten in hours,” he said.

Hakyeon stared curiously at the fire in Taekwoon’s palm, mesmerized by how the small ball seemed almost mellow in comparison to how fire typically acted. “And now what can you do?” he asked. He hoped that Taekwoon would be able to regain the control he had during his shows, considering he would have to perform for the King soon.

“Just small things,” Taekwoon said, “I overdid it a little bit, but it means that I should be perfect for tomorrow.” He morphed the ball into a tiny person and put his hand next to Hakyeon’s, allow the fire-man to climb into the prince’s palm.

Hakyeon let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “I’m glad that it helped,” he said, slightly distracted as he watched Taekwoon’s creation crawl into his palm. He watched the man run around, seemingly in his own little world, with a small smile on his face.

Taekwoon smiled softly as he watched the creation play in Hakyeon’s hand before deftly climbing his robe and settling on the prince’s shoulder. “It likes you,” he said teasingly.

Hakyeon craned his neck so he could watch the fire-man climb his robes and sit down on his shoulder. “I guess so,” he said with a chuckle. After watching the creation for a few moments, he turned his attention back to Taekwoon. “Not knowing how you were was agony,” he admitted quietly.

“I’m okay,” Taekwoon said, “I’ll always be okay.” He felt the need to reassure Hakyeon that he would be fine even when he wasn’t. “I was worried about you too.”

“Just promise me that you won’t lie to me,” Hakyeon said, a little more forceful than he intended. “You were worried about me?” he asked with a shake of his head when he finally registered the statement, “you could have gotten seriously injured and you _still_ worried about me?” He stared at Taekwoon with wide eyes.

“The fire wouldn’t hurt me even if I wanted it to,” Taekwoon reassured Hakyeon gently. He carefully scooped his creation off of the prince’s shoulder and carefully blew it out so that he could guide Hakyeon back to bed.

With a small sigh Hakyeon let himself be guided to the bed. He laid back, wrapping his arms around Taekwoon’s neck so he could pull the pyromancer down with him.

Taekwoon let himself be pulled down on top of Hakyeon, settling his forearms framing the prince’s head. “Hi,” he said softly.

“I missed you,” Hakyeon said with a pout as he looked up at the pyromancer. He eagerly pressed his lips into Taekwoon’s, foregoing his usual slow pace.

“I missed you too,” Taekwoon said with a laugh when he finally pulled away from Hakyeon. He kissed him again immediately, relishing in the softness of Hakyeon’s mouth.

Hakyeon sighed into kiss and tilted his head slightly so he could deepen it, trying to make up for the lost time. His arms slowly unwrapped themselves from Taekwoon’s neck and Hakyeon ran his hands down the pyromancer’s body before grabbing onto the hem of his shirt.

Taekwoon found himself lifting his arms slightly, pulling the bottom of his shirt free from where it was tucked into his pants and giving Hakyeon access to whatever he was trying to do. Tilting his head, he moved his lips over to Hakyeon’s neck and bit down gently.

Hakyeon gripped the edges of Taekwoon’s now untucked shirt and pushed the material halfway up his torso. He gasped when the pyromancer bit down and leaned his head back to expose more of his neck.

Taekwoon pulled back to discard his shirt over the side of the bed. He pressed himself back against Hakyeon, nipping at the spot he’d bitten before. He wanted to mark the prince up.

Hakyeon draped his arms over Taekwoon’s broad shoulders. He tipped his head back further, panting slightly, as the pyromancer continued to nip as neck.

Taekwoon rolled his hips against Hakyeon’s, continuing to nip and suck at the prince’s neck. He wanted this princess to know just who Hakyeon belonged to: not her.

Hakyeon moaned lowly when Taekwoon rolled his hips against his own. All the younger was doing was marking his neck, and he could already feel himself starting to get hard. He blushed, slightly embarrassed by how easily he was turned on.

Taekwoon could feel Hakyeon start to harden against his thigh. He grinned against the elder’s neck and bit down with a little more force than before. That would bruise for sure.

Hakyeon whined when Taekwoon bit down again. He moved his arms so he could grip the pyromancer’s shoulders, digging his nails, ever so slightly, into the soft skin.

Taekwoon ground his hips against Hakyeon’s again, delighted by the reactions he was receiving. The prince was so incredibly responsive. Finally, the pyromancer left his neck alone and kissed him properly again.

Hakyeon’s grip tightened around Taekwoon’s shoulders when the pyromancer ground his hips down again. He groaned into the younger’s mouth when their lips reconnected, half relieved and half disappointed that his neck was getting a break.

Taekwoon pulled back, chest heaving. “Is that impressive enough for you to strip for me this time?” he teased.

Hakyeon huffed before pushing Taekwoon off of him so he could sit up. He slowly began to pull his shirt off, stopping halfway to kiss the pyromancer for a few moments. He broke away to take his shirt the rest of the way off and discard it. “Satisfied?” he asked.

“Nuh uh,” Taekwoon said, shaking his head, “there’s still a lot of clothing on you, darling.”

Hakyeon whined before pushing Taekwoon the rest of the way off of him. He stood up from the bed, keeping a nervous eye on the pyromancer, before slowly pushing down his pants. He stepped out of them and made his way back to the bed. “There,” he whispered as he stepped closer.

Taekwoon took in Hakyeon’s naked form appreciatively before pulling the prince close. “Much better,” he whispered.

“Your turn,” Hakyeon said cheekily when he pulled back slightly. He wasn’t sure where the burst of confidence came from, but he wasn’t going to squander it.

Taekwoon pulled away and stood up, carefully undoing the tie on his pants. They dropped to the floor and he stepped out of them to come back to Hakyeon.

Hakyeon’s eyes raked over Taekwoon’s naked body. He hadn’t gotten to appreciate the pyromancer fully before, but he was certainly doing it now. Growing impatient, he pulled Taekwoon the rest of the way towards him so they could lay back down.

“Someone’s eager,” Taekwoon said with a smirk. He descended on Hakyeon again, bypassing his lips and neck to dig his teeth into Hakyeon’s collarbone.

Hakyeon’s whine at Taekwoon’s teasing quickly turned into a low moan when he felt the younger’s teeth sink into his collarbone. One hand came up to fist itself in the pyromancer’s jet black hair as he tipped his head back again.

One of Taekwoon’s hands snaked in between their bodies to wrap around Hakyeon’s cock and stroke slowly. He grinned when he felt Hakyeon harden in his hand.

Hakyeon gasped when Taekwoon took hold of his cock, and subconsciously pushed his hips into the younger’s hand. He tightened his grip on the pyromancer’s hair as he panted harder.

Taekwoon smirked and squeezed Hakyeon gently before letting go and reaching for the pot of oil that they’d discarded the night before. “Third time’s a charm?” he said teasingly.

“I sure hope so,” Hakyeon grumbled. He wasn’t angry their last two attempts hadn’t gone quite according to plan, only disappointed in himself. He eyed Taekwoon curiously, wondering what tricks he had left for tonight.

Taekwoon slicked up his fingers and carefully parted Hakyeon’s thighs. He considered trying out a trick to get the elder really needy, but figured he would save it for another time. Instead, he slowly pushed a finger into Hakyeon, testing how stretched he still was from the night before, if at all.

Hakyeon moaned and rolled his hips against Taekwoon’s finger. He used his hand in the pyromancer’s hair to pull him close so that Hakyeon could kiss him deeply.

Taekwoon kisses Hakyeon firmly as he carefully pushed a second finger in alongside the first. He didn’t even need to thrust them; Hakyeon was taking care of that for him with an almost desperation.

Hakyeon whined into Taekwoon’s mouth as the pyromancer pushed another finger in. He sat there for a few moments, getting used to the new stretch. He felt himself climbing closer and closer to the edge and knew he wouldn’t be able to last much longer.

Taekwoon started to slowly move his fingers in and out of Hakyeon, letting him get used to the stretch before he attempted to scissor the digits. “You okay?” he asked, if only to reassure himself.

Hakyeon groaned loudly as Taekwoon began to move his fingers. "I-I'm fine," he finally gasped out between heavy pants; the pyromancer's fingers felt absolutely incredible inside of him.

Furrowing his brow in concentration, Taekwoon carefully moved his fingers apart, stretching Hakyeon even more. He wanted to make sure the prince would be in as little pain as possible.

Hakyeon whined at the new feeling as Taekwoon opened his fingers. "Fe-feels good, Taekwoon-ah," he panted as he tipped his head back.

Taekwoon smirked to himself and slowed his hand down so he could push in a third finger. His fingers were long and somewhat thick, so hopefully he wouldn’t need to go up to four.

Hakyeon writhed at the feeling of Taekwoon’s third finger pushing into him. He really didn’t know how much of this he could take. His hands came to rest in his favorite spots on the pyromancer’s shoulders and he tightened his grip almost immediately.

Taekwoon moved his fingers with a bit more speed. He wanted to get past fingering before Hakyeon inevitably came. Smirking cruelly, he crooked his fingers and dragged the blunt tips right over Hakyeon’s prostate.

"Taekwoon!" Hakyeon cried out as a wave of pleasure surged through his body. He pushed his hips against the pyromancer's fingers, hoping for, no needing, more.

Taekwoon smirked and repeated the action before finally pulling his fingers out. “Are you ready, baby?” he asked softly.

Hakyeon whined loudly when Taekwoon pulled out his fingers. He laid there for a moment, before nodding slowly. Looking up at the pyromancer with sincerity, Hakyeon knew he was truly ready this time.

Taking a deep breath, Taekwoon wrapped his hand around his own cock, using the leftover oil to slick it up. He pushed Hakyeon’s legs up so that his feet were resting on the bed then scooted forward to line himself up.

Hakyeon sucked in a breath when he felt Taekwoon’s tip pressed against his hole. He tightened his grip on the pyromancer’s shoulders, waiting for him to push in.

Taekwoon slowly pushed into Hakyeon. Normally, he would pause with just the head in, but he wanted to make Hakyeon’s first time as painless as possible, so he kept going until he was in to the hilt. Leaning down, he kissed Hakyeon softly.

Hakyeon moaned into Taekwoon’s mouth when the pyromancer finally pushed in. He whimpered quietly as he got used to the feeling of Taekwoon inside him. After a few moments, he kissed the pyromancer back and slowly began to move his hips.

Taekwoon felt Hakyeon’s hips rolling against his own and began to move. He thrusted shallowly at first, grinding against Hakyeon more than anything.

Hakyeon whined at the feeling of Taekwoon rolling his own hips and began to kiss him harder. He nipped playfully at the pyromancer’s lower lip, hoping to convince him that he was okay. 

Taekwoon wrapped his arms around Hakyeon’s thighs, giving himself the leverage to finally start thrusting for real. His mouth left Hakyeon and nipped its way down his chest.

Hakyeon moaned loudly when Taekwoon finally started thrusting into him. His long cock felt so perfect inside of him and he pushed his hips down on the younger’s thickness needily. He was slowly becoming a panting, moaning mess under the pyromancer and could feel himself reaching the edge.

Taekwoon paused for a moment. He manhandled Hakyeon so that the elder was laying more on his back with his thighs pushed up close to his chest. When he started moving again, it was at a much quicker pace than before.

Hakyeon moaned again at the new angle Taekwoon was thrusting into him at. “I-I’m c-close,” he finally panted out, knowing he wouldn’t last more than a few more thrusts from the younger.

Taekwoon snapped his hips sharply before leaning over Hakyeon and digging his teeth into the prince’s neck again. It was a more difficult angle, but he still managed to fuck his lover roughly.

Hakyeon was overwhelmed and finally came with a loud cry when Taekwoon bit into his neck. He panted heavily as he slowly came down from his high.

Taekwoon groaned as Hakyeon’s walls tightened around him. Not wanting to make Hakyeon too dirty, he made to pull out.

Hakyeon whined quietly when Taekwoon slowly began to pull out, too exhausted to do much else. One of his hands slid up Taekwoon’s shoulder to bury itself in the pyromancer’s long hair.

Taekwoon used one hand to gently pull Hakyeon’s out of his hair and thread their fingers together. With the other, he stroked himself off, coming over Hakyeon’s already dirtied stomach with a low groan.

Hakyeon moaned quietly when Taekwoon came on him. He happily gripped the pyromancer’s hand and used the hand on the younger’s shoulder to guide him closer for a soft kiss.

Taekwoon kisses Hakyeon gently then pulled away and disappeared into the bathroom. He returned with a dampened cloth and used it to clean off Hakyeon’s stomach, ass, and thighs.

Hakyeon laid on the bed, breathing slowly, as Taekwoon cleaned him up. He sighed contently when the pyromancer had finished and shifted on the bed so he was more comfortable. Watching Taekwoon curiously, he waited patiently for the younger to come lay down with him.

Taekwoon returned to the bathroom to discard the cloth then came back to bed. He laid on the mattress and immediately pulled Hakyeon into his arms. He felt warm, in a good way.

Hakyeon hummed happily when he was pulled into Taekwoon’s arms. He cuddled up to the younger, one hand sliding up the pyromancer’s body to rest on his firm chest.

Taekwoon kissed the top of Hakyeon’s head. “Good?” he asked softly. He hoped he hadn’t hurt the prince at all, although he’d done some pretty visible damage to his neck that he was admittedly very proud of.

Hakyeon nodded slowly at Taekwoon’s question. He stifled a yawn as he tucked his head under the pyromancer’s chin. Trying to keep his eyes open was futile, so Hakyeon let them slowly close with a soft sigh.

Taekwoon smiled softly as he watched Hakyeon fall asleep. The prince was so adorable. He always seemed much younger than he was when they were together.

A small smile spread Hakyeon’s face as he pressed himself against the pyromancer, all worries of meeting with the princess completely forgotten. He slowly drifted off to sleep, happily snuggled into Taekwoon’s warm side.

Taekwoon had spent as much time with Hakyeon as he could. The king had approved him staying as a court performer, but had since instructed him to prepare to perform at Hakyeon's wedding. The cruel smile the man had worn when he'd announced told Taekwoon that he knew exactly the kind of pain he was dealing.

Hakyeon spent as much time with Taekwoon as he could during the week leading up to the wedding, but it was nowhere near enough. He was extremely grateful for how wonderful Hana was and how well they were able to get along. Despite this he was still worried about the pyromancer and ensured that his princess understood of his close friendship with Taekwoon, well at least that’s what she thought it was.

When the day of the wedding finally came, Taekwoon found himself unable to get a spare minute with Hakyeon. The crown prince was being dragged in every direction, while Taekwoon was confined to the quarters that would be his after the night was over.

Despite Hakyeon growing up in the castle, he never truly got used to being doted on and directed on what to do and how to act, especially for formal events. Unfortunately, because he was the center of the wedding the servants were paying even more attention to the crown prince than usual. Eventually Hakyeon grew tired of every centimeter of his robes being examined for the third time this morning so he dismissed the servants, saying he didn’t feel well and wanted to lie down. It wasn’t entirely a lie, this whole situation still didn’t sit well with him; however, he was not going to lie down. Instead, he made his way to Taekwoon’s chambers, knocking lightly on the door, before quickly slipping inside.

Taekwoon looked up from where he was laying on his bed, tossing a small ball of flame toward the ceiling to catch it repeatedly. “You should be attending to your princely duties,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“If one more person tries to fix my robe I’m going to go insane,” Hakyeon growled. “But you’re right I should be, and I definitely shouldn’t be hiding, but I really can’t take much more of this. I just want today to be over,” he added with a sigh.

“I, on the contrary, would rather this day never end,” Taekwoon said, sitting up, “it’ll be a lot harder for us after tonight.”

“I know,” Hakyeon said lamely. He didn’t know what to think, despite becoming quite fond of Hana over the last week, he still dreaded the wedding. Above the small bit of excitedness, the worry, the nervousness, there was an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. Hakyeon didn’t want to bring the mood of the day any further down, but he couldn’t help thinking about his future and what it would bring for him and Taekwoon.

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon said with a sigh, “we’ll figure it out. Somehow.” He wasn’t really sure how they were going to make this work, but he wanted to at least make the effort.

Hakyeon nodded quickly. “We will. I know we will,” he sounded a lot more confident then he felt, but if there was one word to describe Cha Hakyeon it was determined, and he was determined to figure out a way for him and Taekwoon to be happy.

Taekwoon sighed and reached an arm out for Hakyeon. He wanted to hold the elder while he still could. He absorbed the fire in his hand, storing it for his performance later.

Hakyeon made his way across the room to Taekwoon. He took the pyromancer’s outstretched hand in his own and slowly lowered himself onto the bed, careful not to crease his robes. With a soft sigh, Hakyeon leaned over to place a gentle kiss on Taekwoon’s lips.

Taekwoon kissed Hakyeon softly, threading their fingers together. “I hope she knows how lucky she is,” he said when he pulled away.

Hakyeon nodded slowly. “There’s no way she doesn’t know about us; she’s much too smart for that,” he said, “I just don’t know what she’ll do when I actually tell her.” He knew he would have to tell his princess the truth about him and Taekwoon eventually, but he still hadn’t quite figured out when or how he wanted to do it.

“It isn’t like she can stop you or have you punished,” Taekwoon said reassuringly, “she’s a foreigner and you’re the crown prince.”

“You’re right,” Hakyeon said, giving Taekwoon’s hand a small squeeze, “I just don’t want her to be upset.” Hakyeon wouldn’t go as far as to say he had fallen in love with Hana, but he had grown fond enough of her that he wanted to make sure she was happy, and this news could ruin that.

“You could let her take a lover as well,” Taekwoon suggested. He hadn’t actually met Hana but if she was a princess then she must be used to the world of consorts.

Hakyeon tilted his head as he pondered Taekwoon’s suggestion, it would certainly make everyone’s lives much happier, as long as Hana agreed to it. “That’s brilliant, Taekwoon-ah,” he said, “I’ll keep that in mind.” He leaned over to steal one last kiss before regretfully standing up from the bed. “As much as I would prefer to spend the rest of my evening here, I can’t hide any longer,” he said sadly.

“Yes, there’s a guard waiting outside my door,” Taekwoon lamented. His hand followed Hakyeon as he stood before dropping back into his lap. He wished there was something more he could do, but he was stuck.

“I’ll see you soon,” Hakyeon said quietly before slowly walking across the room. After taking a deep breath, he opened the door and followed the guards so that he could finish his preparations. He ignored their chastising, his mind too focused on Taekwoon.

Taekwoon sighed and flopped back on the bed. He wasn’t performing until the reception and he wasn’t planning on watching the love of his life walk down the aisle toward someone else. With another sigh, he decided to take a nap.

Hakyeon desperately scanned the large crowd that had gathered for the ceremony, but he couldn’t find Taekwoon. He wasn’t surprised that the pyromancer wasn’t attending; it was probably better for the both of them that way anyway. With a soft sigh and a small shake of his head, Hakyeon focused his attention on his gorgeous bride and tried to push the image of the one he truly loved from his head for the duration of the ceremony. Everything went flawlessly, including the small kiss they had to share to signify their official union. Hakyeon barely had time to breath after he and Hana walked back down the aisle, as he was bombarded with lords and ladies from neighboring kingdoms who came to congratulate him.

Taekwoon woke up to bells tolling to announce the new marriage. With a sigh, he rolled out of bed and prepared himself for the show. He smeared ash over his torso and back, even making a design on his face to cover his heavy eye bags.

Hakyeon was both grateful and nervous when Taekwoon’s performance was announced. Taking his new bride’s hand in his own, he guided her over to the chairs set up especially for them. He smoothed out his robes nervously as he waited for the pyromancer to make his appearance.

Taekwoon took a deep breath and stepped into his performance area. He could feel Hakyeon’s eyes on him, but he ignored them and focused on the task at hand. Taking another deep breath, he started the show.

Hakyeon smiled fondly when Taekwoon began his show. He hadn’t been able to watch one of the pyromancer’s shows this close in months and he didn’t realize how much he missed them until now.

Taekwoon was glad that the show had gone off without a hitch. Hopefully, the king was done with him now and he could sneak out a side door.

Hakyeon quickly whispered to the guard next to him to bring Taekwoon over once the pyromancer had washed up. Hana had the same look of amazement Hakyeon wore when he watched Taekwoon’s first show all those months ago and he thought this would be the perfect opportunity for the two to meet.

Taekwoon bowed to the crowd and slipped out the side door. He had no intentions of locking himself in his room again, so he slipped out of the castle and across the grounds. There was a stable near the woods, where the king’s army kept their horses. He had always bonded well with horses. They had some element of fire in their blood. He snuck into the stable and made his way over to his favorite, a pitch black stallion.

A few moments later, the guard returned, explaining he could not find Taekwoon. Frowning slightly, Hakyeon dismissed the guard and decided that the two would have to meet at a later time. Instead he pushed the pyromancer from his mind, so that he could focus his attention on his bride.

The horse wouldn’t calm even for the most patient of trainers, but Taekwoon had a way with him and soon had him in a halter and out of the stable. He didn’t bother with a saddle and instead climbed on bareback, urging the horse to move. Before he knew it, he was back in his home. He tied the horse near a tree and made his way to the middle of the ash. He needed to burn off but wasn’t going to do it with all the festivities in the castle.

Despite his protests, Hakyeon still found himself being dragged onto his feet to dance by Hana. Luckily for the crown prince he had taken dance lessons all throughout his childhood; even though he had been forced to stop by his father when he turned eighteen, he was still very good. Taking his wife, he would have to get used to that word sooner or later, by the hands he began to lead them across the dance floor. Hakyeon smiled widely and even leaned down to steal a small kiss from Hana, completely lost in the moment. They danced together until the announcement that it was time for dinner forced them to take their seats.

Taekwoon burnt himself out completely, not even able to produce a spark. Once the first rays of light touched the sky, he got up from where he’d collapsed in a pile of rubble, and climbed back on his stolen horse. They made their way back to the castle grounds and he returned the stallion just before the stable master arrived. The older man cast him a suspicious look, but Taekwoon simply smiled, bowed, and walked away.

Hakyeon didn’t even realize Taekwoon never came back to the reception until it was long over and he was making his way up to his chambers with Hana. After they both washed up, they climbed into bed and Hakyeon was surprised when his wife pressed herself against him. He wrapped an arm around her, marveling in how...different this was. Deciding it wasn’t entirely a bad different, he quickly fell asleep, exhausted by the events of the day.

Taekwoon collapsed into his bed just as dawn finally fully broke, feeling like he could sleep for thirty years. Despite his own heat, the bed felt cold and empty. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around an extra pillow and closed his eyes. He would simply have to get used to this.

Hakyeon blinked his eyes open as sunlight streamed through the window. Despite it being late morning, he had no intentions of getting out of bed and instead pulled Hana closer to him. This was definitely something he would have to get used to, but he didn’t think it would be much of a problem. While he laid there, he tried to think of ways he could have Taekwoon and Hana meet; during dinner was an option, but he wasn’t so sure he wanted such a formal setting. With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes again and dozed for a few more hours. 

Taekwoon finally fell asleep and stayed that way well into the afternoon. He woke up to a pounding on the door. The king was summoning him, to discuss his performance the night before, whatever that meant.

By the time Hakyeon and Hana had gotten up and ready it was already mid afternoon. Hakyeon showed his new wife around the areas of the castle he wasn’t able to show her during the week, trying to acclimate her. Once they were done walking around they headed to the dining hall to have a much anticipated dinner.

Taekwoon followed the guard to one of the king’s smaller meeting chambers. He bowed respectfully and waited for the ruler’s judgment. It turned out that the king had been impressed with Taekwoon’s show and wanted to reward him beyond allowing him to stay in castle. Taekwoon knew what he wanted immediately. “The black stallion in your cavalry, the one no one can tame,” he requested, certain that the king knew just which horse he was talking about.

After dinner they quickly returned to Hakyeon’s, well now their, bed chamber. Since the wedding was so hectic it was nice to be able to relax and just enjoy each other’s presence. As much as the crown prince would prefer walking around the gardens, or even the castle itself, he knew this was the only place they would truly be able to have their privacy.

The king let the stallion go with no arguments, thankfully. He dismissed Taekwoon with a letter for the stable master. The pyromancer trudged back to his room and collapsed into bed again.

The conversation easily flowed between them, from laughing about the antics of some of the guests to discussing the many tricks to getting around the castle efficiently. Eventually the conversation landed on the future; Hakyeon knew of his expectation to produce an heir, but he didn’t want to think about that so soon. Luckily they were both exhausted at that point, so they laid down and happily fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

In the weeks following the wedding, Taekwoon didn’t see Hakyeon at all. The prince spent almost all of his time with his new wife. To his credit, Taekwoon didn’t make it easy for him. Unless he was performing or sleeping, he usually wasn’t even on castle grounds. Taekwoon was trying to stay distracted. The less he paid attention, the less undeservingly jealous he felt.

The next few weeks almost flew by for Hakyeon and eventually everything settled down. Despite his best efforts, he wasn’t able to find much time to spend with Taekwoon, let alone the pyromancer himself. Everytime he sent a guard to summon Taekwoon on the rare occasion he had a few free minutes, he was always missing. Eventually Hakyeon gave up, and focused his efforts on making his wife happy. Hana was adjusting just fine, and was warming up to the arrangement much faster than Hakyeon himself. On the other hand, the King had been keeping a close eye on them, ensuring that Taekwoon wasn’t getting in the way.

Taekwoon felt bad for disappearing on Hakyeon, but it wasn’t like the prince wasn’t busy. If he wasn’t with his father, he was with his wife, most likely producing the heir his father so desperately required. As much as he favorited Sunwoo, it seemed the king wanted him out of a path to the throne.

Hakyeon found himself thinking about Taekwoon less and less until one day he was summoned into a meeting by his father. “I didn’t want to threaten you, Hakyeon, but it seems I have no choice. I do not feel comfortable leaving the throne to you without assurance that it will stay within this family. Sunwoo, despite his ambitions, is not fit for the throne and Eunwoo has all but betrayed us. That being said, if there is no announcement to be made of a child within the next few months, I will have no qualms banishing your precious pyromancer to the outskirts of the city where you will never see him again. This is final and you are dismissed,” the King said sternly. Hakyeon didn’t have it in his heart to argue, knowing it would be futile. Instead, he disappeared to the East wing’s tower so that he could finally be alone.

Taekwoon was just returning from a short jaunt into the city when he caught Hakyeon heading toward an unfamiliar part of the castle, looking upset. “Hakyeon-ah,” he called out, jogging after the prince.

Hakyeon whipped around when he heard his name and his eyes widened when he came face to face with Taekwoon. He wordlessly grabbed the pyromancer by the hand and dragged him down the hall and into his secret room. Quickly locking the door behind them, he spun back around to face Taekwoon. “Where have you been?” he asked desperately.

“Never mind that,” Taekwoon said, shaking his head, “are you alright? You seem...not okay.” He hadn’t seen Hakyeon in a while and there was nothing he hated more than seeing the prince upset.

“I’m fine,” Hakyeon said quietly. He didn’t particularly want to talk about his conversation with his father with the pyromancer. He wrapped his arms around himself and took a step back. It stung that Taekwoon was avoiding his question, and he wondered why the younger man had been hiding from him.

Taekwoon bit his lip and threaded his fingers together nervously. “That’s all I wanted to ask,” he mumbled finally, pushing past Hakyeon toward the door.

“Taekwoon-ah, wait,” Hakyeon pleaded, “please don’t go. I haven’t seen you in weeks and you’re just going to leave so quickly again? I’ve been looking for you and no one’s been able to find you.” He had missed the pyromancer so much and he was terrified of losing him again.

“I haven’t been around,” Taekwoon admitted, “it’s too dangerous for me to be here unless I’m performing.” His control was still all over the place and he really didn’t feel comfortable staying where he could take out the entire royal family in one go.

“I told you before that I’m not afraid and I want to help you, but I can’t do that when you’re hiding from me,” Hakyeon said, “how...how was it so easy for you to stay away?” He looked up at Taekwoon with sad eyes.

“Your father gave me a horse,” Taekwoon said, knowing that wasn’t what Hakyeon was actually asking, “I’m sure he hoped that I would just leave for good, but I’m not that strong.”

Hakyeon frowned and tightened his arms around himself. “Is this how it’s going to be from now on?” he asked sadly, “you hiding away and me only getting to see you for a few minutes every few weeks?” There was no way Hakyeon could live like this, but he couldn’t stand to lose Taekwoon.

“I think that would be the best thing for us,” Taekwoon said quietly. He wanted all of Hakyeon, or he wanted none of him. This sneaking around and hiding from his wife wasn’t something he could handle.

Hakyeon turned his head down and bit his lip. “I don’t think I can live like that,” he said in a small voice.

“Well, I can’t live like this,” Taekwoon said, voice suddenly cold, “I’m not some toy you can drag around when you feel lonely.” He knew what he was saying was horrible, but things would be better if Hakyeon hated him.

Hakyeon sucked in a breath and stepped back. “I-I don’t want to just see you when I’m lonely. I want to see you all the time. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to dedicate as much time to you as I did before the wedding, but that doesn’t change my feelings,” he said, barely keeping himself together, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He took a few more steps back and sat on the edge of the small bed that was in the corner of the room.

“I’m not going to be your dirty secret,” Taekwoon said, “all or none, that’s my deal, and you can’t give me all so I guess it has to be none.”

Hakyeon bit the inside of his cheek so hard it started to bleed. “I guess it’s none,” he echoed sadly. He didn’t want it to be none, but it didn’t seem like Taekwoon was willing to bargain. He was under the impression that the pyromancer would fight for them, but he was proven wrong.

Taekwoon gave Hakyeon one last long look before leaving the room. He was shaking violently as he walked down the hallway, trying to keep himself contained until he could get off the castle grounds.

Hakyeon buried his head in hands. Despite his best efforts and intentions, he looked like his father was going to get what he wanted after all. He let himself cry, for himself, for Taekwoon, for the life they would never get to have together. Hana was probably wondering where he had gone, but that was the last thing on Hakyeon’s mind.

Taekwoon had been slipping sparks the entire way out to the shelled out village and just barely made it in time before the flames exploded. He screamed in pain as they kept dancing and licking around him. Not physical pain, no, the flames couldn’t hurt him even if they wanted to, but from the pain in his heart.

Hakyeon knew he couldn’t hide for long without raising suspicion so he collected himself quickly. He retreated back to his chambers and surrounded himself in his wife’s embrace, trying unsuccessfully to dull some of the pain.

It was the dead of night by the time the fire fully burned itself out. Taekwoon felt hollow, with both his fire and Hakyeon gone. Panting, he rolled onto his back in the rubble and stared up at the sky. It had been the right decision, but it felt like a mistake.

Hana wasn’t a fool. She knew what was going on and Hakyeon was grateful she didn’t ask any questions. He felt like a piece of him was missing; a piece that he was never going to get back. Even his father was quick to pick up on his off behavior, but he seemed more satisfied than anything. Almost like he knew the cause.

Taekwoon continued existing like a shell. He would perform for the king, then routinely burn himself and return to his chambers feeling like a shell of himself. It wasn’t a healthy way to live, but he had never lived healthy to begin with.

Hakyeon hadn’t talked to Taekwoon since the day they agreed not to continue not to see each other. He put all of his energy into making sure Hana was happy and it made him feel marginally better, but it was more of a distraction than anything. It was only a matter of time before he would have a child to care for as well and the thought only made him more apprehensive about his future.

There was finally a day when Taekwoon couldn't bring himself to burn at all. He hadn’t slept, couldn’t remember when he last ate, and simply felt too heavy to even get out of bed. When the fire licked the tips of his fingers, asking for release, he simply ignored it and it soon retreated.

Hakyeon was so worried about Taekwoon that he could barely sleep. He wanted so desperately to go to the pyromancer and demand that they figure something else out, but he couldn’t. Taekwoon didn’t want that and he had to learn to understand.

Taekwoon stayed in bed that day, and the next day, and the next. The fire pushed at his insides, feeling like it was going to come spilling out any second and it was when he accidentally burnt a bath towel with the sheer heat of his skin that he managed to drag himself off the castle grounds once more.

Hakyeon couldn’t take it anymore. He locked himself away in his secret room, where no one would find him. He needed to collect himself once and for all if he was going to have any chance of getting over Taekwoon. It hurt, but he was willing to stay here for days if that’s what it took.

Taekwoon was miserable. Absolutely, completely miserable. He hated how Hakyeon had the ability to make him feel this way, feel so desperate without him. Even the waiting and sneaking was better than nothing. Oh, how he regretted the decision he made. After a few more days of abject misery, he finally cracked and sent a guard for Hakyeon in the middle of the night.

Hakyeon dreaded the moment when a guard ordered him to go with him. He hadn’t been summoned by his father at this hour since he was a teenager and he feared the worst. Confusion set in when he realized they weren’t going to the throne room, and he balked when they finally did reach their destination. He couldn’t face Taekwoon, he couldn’t. It would hurt too much.

Taekwoon paced his room like a mad man, waiting for Hakyeon. He had asked the guard to not alert Hakyeon as to who had sent for him, as he was sure the older man would refuse to come if he knew. As it was, Hakyeon was very intelligent and would certainly still have time to turn away.

When Hakyeon hesitated the guard took it upon himself to knock on the door. This snapped Hakyeon out of his panic and sent him stumbling a couple steps back. There wasn’t enough time to disappear down the hallway so he stood rooted to his spot. He didn’t know what to expect when Taekwoon answered the door, and he feared the worst.

Taekwoon was regretting this now too. He didn’t want Hakyeon to see him falling apart like this, but he had to see it through. Unable to face Hakyeon just yet, he conjured a fiery hand to open the door instead.

Hakyeon swallowed his fear and stepped into the room. He didn’t have to stay long, he reminded himself. Just long enough to see what Taekwoon wanted and then he could go back to his wife.

The hand dissipated once the door was closed and Taekwoon finally turned to face Hakyeon. He kept himself to the darkened part of the room for a moment, keeping Hakyeon from seeing how awful he really looked, but he simply couldn’t help himself. He practically flew across the room and slammed Hakyeon into the closed door, kissing him deeply.

Hakyeon yelped in surprise when he was pushed backwards but was silenced by Taekwoon’s lips on his own. He automatically leaned into the kiss and threaded his fingers through the pyromancer’s long hair. This shouldn’t be happening, Hakyeon realized after a moment. They needed to be getting over each, and this certainly wasn’t helping, but he couldn’t bring himself to pull away.

Taekwoon finally pulled himself away from Hakyeon’s mouth. He pressed their foreheads together as he panted heavily. “I missed you,” he finally breathed out.

“I missed you too,” Hakyeon said. He wrapped his arms around Taekwoon’s waist and pulled the younger man against him. “I can’t do none. I know that was your condition, but I can’t do it,” he admitted, “it’s been tearing me apart not being able to see you.”

“Me too,” Taekwoon said quietly, “I was stupid to think I could ever handle being without you. Even just fragments of your time are better than absolutely nothing.”

“Please, please don’t stay away from me anymore,” Hakyeon begged, “I’ll figure out a way to make everyone happy, I will. I just need a little time.”

Taekwoon couldn’t promise that. He knew that, at some point, he would freak out about all of it again. For now though, he stepped back, pulling Hakyeon with him. “Spend tonight with me,” he whispered.

Hakyeon nodded immediately. He let himself be pulled across the room, nothing on his mind except the pyromancer. A small part of him was scared this wouldn’t last, but the rest of him ignored it in favor of enjoying the time he had with Taekwoon.

Taekwoon pulled Hakyeon into the shadows, to the bed. He let himself topple backwards into the mattress and pulled the crown prince with him.

Hakyeon hummed happily as he was pulled to lay down. This was what he had missed more than anything. He stared into the pyromancer’s eyes for a moment before leaning down to kiss him.

Taekwoon happily kissed Hakyeon back, hoping the older man could feel all of his hectic emotion. It pained him to have hurt Hakyeon so badly.

Taekwoon’s kisses were a lot more sloppy than they usually were. Hakyeon didn’t mind in the slightest; he was just happy to be kissing the younger man again. He had no idea how either of them had gone so long without each other.

It wasn’t long at all before Taekwoon was moving from Hakyeon’s mouth down to his neck. He had the strong desire to mark him up, to remind Hakyeon whose he truly was, but that wasn’t allowed anymore.

Hakyeon shivered as Taekwoon’s lips worked against his neck. He missed the days where the pyromancer would leave bruises along his skin for him to show off, but they couldn’t do that tonight. Maybe one day, when he was finally king.

Taekwoon nipped gentle at the skin under his mouth, not nearly hard enough to leave any sort of mark. “Maybe I’ll leave your darling wife a present to find,” he murmured.

Hakyeon whined quietly. He knew it wasn’t a good idea and he didn’t even want to think about how his father would react. But right now, he didn’t care and he tipped his head back slightly.

“Undress for me, your highness,” Taekwoon said, pulling away and disappearing into the bathroom for the necessary supplies.

Hakyeon immediately shed his shirt and pants, dropping them over the side of the bed. Eagerly, he pushed himself back to lay in the middle of the bed. He eyed the bathroom door waiting for Taekwoon to return.

Taekwoon rid himself of his shirt in the bathroom, but kept his pants on as he sauntered back into the bedroom, pot of oil in hand. His breath hitched when he saw Hakyeon naked and laid out for him. He was a lucky man; there were many men who would kill for this sight.

Hakyeon pushed himself up onto his elbows when Taekwoon walked back into the room. He blushed when he noticed the pyromancer staring at him. “Come here,” he said quietly, reaching his hand out.

Taekwoon set the pot on the bedside table and climbed on top of Hakyeon. “You’re beautiful,” he said quietly, “so _fucking_ beautiful, Hakyeon.”

Hakyeon turned his head down in embarrassment. He didn’t think he would ever get used to the genuine compliments. “You’re too kind to me,” he murmured.

“Blinded by love, maybe,” Taekwoon said, “but I’ve been in love with you for well over a decade, so I think I know what I’m talking about.” He settled his hands on Hakyeon’s waist, slowly inching them toward his chest.

Hakyeon quivered beneath Taekwoon’s hands, but he wasn’t nervous in the slightest. He could barely contain his excitement and the heat in his cheeks was the only thing keeping him from looking up. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being loved,” he whispered. While he had Hana, neither of them could call what they had love considering they were both forced into their marriage.

Scooting back a little, Taekwoon leaned down and captured Hakyeon’s mouth once more. He kissed his lover deeply, hands creeping up to flick at Hakyeon’s nipples.

Hakyeon whined into Taekwoon’s mouth. He kissed the pyromancer back with all of the feelings he had been holding onto for the past few weeks. His whole body was buzzing and was hypersensitive to everything Taekwoon was doing.

“I wanna wreck you, baby,” Taekwoon mumbled, “just this once.” He would never do anything to hurt Hakyeon, but god how he wanted to see him writhe.

Hakyeon exhaled shakily. “I-I trust you,” he said. And he did. He trusted Taekwoon with his life and who knew when, or even if, they would ever have an opportunity to be together again.

Taekwoon bit Hakyeon’s lip, tugging on it for a moment before moving further down his lover’s body. He nipped at the prince’s chest as he continued torturing his nipples, and finally glanced up his lover. “Is this what you think about?” he asked, “is this how you get off when you fuck her? Thinking about me?”

Hakyeon sucked in a breath and threw his head back onto the pillow. His cheeks flushed more and he squeezed his eyes shut. “M-maybe,” he said cryptically. It was as good as a confession.

Taekwoon smirked. Hakyeon could be so transparent. He glanced at all the tiny bruises forming on the older man’s chest. His blunt nails dragged down the prince’s side as his mouth replaced his hand on Hakyeon’s nipple.

“Taekwoon,” Hakyeon whined, voice strained. One of his hands blindly found its way to the pyromancer’s head and fisted itself in the dark locks.

Taekwoon dragged his teeth over the hardened bud with a smirk before moving his head to the other side of Hakyeon’s chest and continuing his assault.

Hakyeon bit his lip, but it wasn’t enough to keep him quiet and a moan slipped through his lips. He was trying to hold onto the last thread of control he had, but he knew that wouldn’t last much longer. Taekwoon knew him much too well.

Taekwoon finally pulled away, giving Hakyeon a chance to breathe and leaving his chest well-marked. Easy to hide under clothes, not so easy to hide from the wife. “What should I do to you, baby?” he asked, a little breathless.

Hakyeon’s chest was heaving and he finally forced his eyes open. “Whatever you want,” he panted. He let his hand slide from Taekwoon’s hair to cup his cheek, thumb running back and forth.

Taekwoon cupped his hand over Hakyeon’s, holding the older man’s hand to his face for a moment before sitting up. “What if you did things to me instead?” he asked.

Hakyeon’s eyes widened. “Are...are you sure? I...I really don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean if that’s what you want…” he rambled nervously. He couldn’t risk disappointing Taekwoon, not when he was just getting the younger man back.

“If you want to,” Taekwoon said, “it’s all about what you want; I’ll do anything.” He wouldn’t mind if Hakyeon said yes, but he would definitely be going in with no experience.

“I don’t know if I can,” Hakyeon admitted quietly, “I don’t want to… No, I can’t disappoint you.” He looked up with pleading eyes, silently begging Taekwoon to take control.

“You couldn’t if you tried, baby,” Taekwoon said gently, “we would both be completely novices.” Quietly, he added, “it would be like the first time again.”

Hakyeon exhaled shakily and let his hands come up to rest on Taekwoon’s chest. “If you’re sure about this…” he said, nails gently digging into the soft skin.

“I am, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Taekwoon said, “if you’re not sure, then say no.”

Hakyeon was conflicted. He let himself take a moment to think. Staring into the pyromancer’s eyes, he realized he made his decision a while ago. “I’m sure,” he said as confidently as he could manage.

Taekwoon smiled, the first genuine smile he’d produced in a while, and motioned for Hakyeon to switch places with him. “Have your way with me,” he joked to hide his nerves.

Hakyeon pushed Taekwoon down onto the bed gently. He climbed on top of the younger man and straddled his hips. Hakyeon stared down at the pyromancer and let his fingers drag down his torso. Slowly he leaned down to connect their lips, hoping to calm both of their nerves.

Taekwoon kissed Hakyeon back as easily as always. He may be nervous, but he could still be attentive. Hakyeon was his and he wasn’t about to let the older man forget it.

Hakyeon let one of his hands trail down Taekwoon’s body to the hem of his pants. He played with the material for a few moments before leaning back. “Take these off,” he ordered, moving so he wasn’t sitting on the pyromancers hips.

Taekwoon lifted his hips and kicked the pants off, falling back to the bed once he was naked. He was all Hakyeon’s for the taking.

Hakyeon wasted no time climbing back on Taekwoon’s hips. “I think this is a view I could get used to,” he admitted as he stared down at the stunning man below him.

Taekwoon couldn’t help but agree. He hadn’t thought he could ever possibly enjoy the sight of a naked man above him, but Hakyeon was once again changing his mind.

Now that he was here, Hakyeon had no idea what he should be doing. But the one thing he was sure of was that they had a lot of time to make up for. He leaned down and kissed Taekwoon again forcefully.

Taekwoon let his mouth fall open. He gave the reins over to Hakyeon completely, and, to his slight disbelief, it was actually such a relief.

Hakyeon was a little bit surprised that Taekwoon was so willing to let him take control. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss. He debated for a fleeting moment about grabbing the oil from the nightstand, but he didn’t want to rush anything. Instead he let his hands roam over Taekwoon’s body, nails occasionally digging in, memorizing all of his features.

Taekwoon closed his eyes, absorbing the reverant way Hakyeon touched him. He couldn’t believe he had ever once doubted the prince’s feelings for him.

Hakyeon eventually pulled away from Taekwoon’s mouth. He slowly kissed down the pyromancer’s jaw and onto his neck. He wanted to leave his own marks but everytime he was ready to bite down he would back off. Teasing Taekwoon wasn’t his intention in the slightest. It was just his nerves getting the better of him.

Taekwoon despised the teasing. “You can mark me up,” he said quietly, “that is something I particularly enjoy.”

Hakyeon sighed nervously. He tucked his head into Taekwoon’s neck and bit gently into the soft skin at the junction of his neck and shoulders. Unsure of himself, he pulled back slightly and kissed the pyromancer’s neck instead.

Taekwoon’s breath hitched when Hakyeon’s teeth dug into his neck and nearly pouted when the older man pulled away. “Baby,” he said, “you can do whatever you want to me, it won’t hurt me.”

Hakyeon kissed down Taekwoon’s neck, just above his collar bone. He bit down again and this time he didn’t pull away, determined to leave a dark mark this time.

Taekwoon inhaled sharply when Hakyeon bit down. He could feel himself harden almost instantly. There went any hope he had of hiding _that_ kink.

Hakyeon gasped when he felt Taekwoon harden against his thigh. He didn’t expect to have such an effect on the pyromancer and it was exhilarating. When he was satisfied with the mark he was working on, he moved over to start another next to it. His nervousness was slowly melting away and being replaced by confidence.

As Hakyeon’s grip on him became less tentative and more solid, Taekwoon relaxed even further. He was beginning to wonder why he hadn’t taken this position before, but he was glad it was with Hakyeon first.

After a few minutes, Hakyeon pulled away and admired his handiwork. In a burst of confidence he slowly kissed down Taekwoon’s torso. “Do you trust me?” he asked, looking up.

“Of course,” Taekwoon breathed out, “I’ve always trusted you. I told you, have your way with me.”

Hakyeon continued to kiss down Taekwoon’s defined torso, nipping the skin. He settled himself between the pyromancer’s legs and took a deep breath. Channeling all of the courage he had, he took the tip of Taekwoon’s half hard cock into his mouth.

Taekwoon’s entire body tensed when he felt Hakyeon’s mouth close around his cock. He could tell the older man was inexperienced and nervous, so he did his best to relax.

Hakyeon wasn’t quite sure what he had gotten himself into, but he was determined to please Taekwoon. Taking a risk, he sucked lightly, not sure what else to do.

Taekwoon used all of his willpower to not push up into Hakyeon’s mouth. He would let the older man take his time and do this on his own terms.

Taekwoon was completely silent and Hakyeon wasn’t sure if that was a bad thing or not. He slowly pushed this mouth down a little farther, but his confidence was quickly running out.

“That’s good, baby,” Taekwoon said as he noticed Hakyeon falter. He carefully pushed a hand through his lover’s hair before dropping it back to his side.

Hakyeon hummed at the praise and pushed his head a little bit lower. He was scared of choking so he stopped again. Remembering back to the first time he and Taekwoon slept together, he used his hand to stroke what his mouth didn’t cover.

The small hum had Taekwoon catching his breath. Hakyeon was a little slow, maybe, but he was doing a fantastic job, all things considered.

Hakyeon gradually began to work up a rhythm. He bobbed his head in time with his hand and hoped that he was pleasing Taekwoon.

Taekwoon’s chest was heaving now and he was sweating. Hakyeon had no idea what he was doing to him and yet he was still so good. It almost made him hotter, being so untouched.

Hakyeon eventually pulled off, needing to catch his breath. Panting heavily, he reached towards the pot of oil. “Are you going to stretch me or do I have to do it myself?” he asked.

“I thought it would be you stretching me,” Taekwoon said, sitting up on his elbows. Of course, he would be more than glad to take over, if Hakyeon so desired, but he would almost rather not.

Hakyeon nearly dropped the pot of oil. “O-oh, it can be,” he said, nerves suddenly through the roof again. Took a little bit of the oil onto his fingers, but hesitated.

“It’s up to you,” Taekwoon said firmly, “whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Hakyeon took a deep breath and looked up at Taekwoon. “I like you just where you are,” he said. Carefully climbing back up the bed, he kissed Taekwoon gently, while his finger pressed against the pyromancer’s entrance.

Taekwoon flushed a little, suddenly self conscious. He hadn’t done this often, and the last time had been years ago, well before he started isolating himself. His breath hitched when Hakyeon’s hand suddenly found its way under him.

“Taek, are you sure about this?” Hakyeon asked softly. He wasn’t scared of hurting the pyromancer anymore, but he wanted to make sure he was comfortable.

“I am,” Taekwoon said easily, “I love you.” It wasn’t really an explanation, but it felt like the right time to say it.

“I love you too,” Hakyeon murmured. He kissed the pyromancer’s cheek before slowly pushing his finger in.

Taekwoon shuddered at the initial intrusion. He didn’t remember much from his previous experiences, so he was wholly unprepared for how odd the feeling was. Once he got used to it though, it felt really nice.

Hakyeon kept his finger still for a few moments before slowly rolling it. This was the first time all night he felt like he had some control.

Taekwoon felt vulnerable. He hadn’t felt this vulnerable in quite some time, but he was glad it was with Hakyeon. “You can do...more,” he gasped out finally, “faster, another finger, whatever.”

Hakyeon decided to do both. He added another finger and after waiting a moment for Taekwoon to adjust, he began to move them faster.

There was a bit of a burn, but Taekwoon found that he enjoyed it, which wasn’t much of a surprise. One doesn’t spend their entire life on fire without developing a bit of a thing for pain. “That’s so good, babe,” he praised.

Hakyeon moaned quietly. It was him who was making the pyromancer feel good, and it gave him a bit of a rush. He was beginning to like being in charge. Leaning down, he teased his teeth against the unmarked side of Taekwoon’s neck.

Taekwoon tipped his head to the side, giving Hakyeon unfettered access to his neck. “Another, baby, please,” he asked quietly.

Hakyeon smiled against Taekwoon’s throat. He bit down again, harder than last time, as he pushed in a third finger. His own cock was beginning to throb and he sped up his fingers, hoping the pyromancer would be ready soon.

Taekwoon couldn’t help the moan that slipped past his lips at the sudden increase in stimulation. “I think that’s g-good,” he stuttered out a few moments later.

Hakyeon slowly pulled his fingers out and kissed his way back up Taekwoon’s throat. He pulled back slightly to grab the pot of oil again and slicked himself. “Are you ready?” he asked, looking into the pyromancer’s eyes.

“I’m so ready,” Taekwoon assured the prince, “please, baby, I need you.”

Hakyeon hummed quietly. He carefully lined himself up, but paused. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he slowly pushed in.

Taekwoon clapped a hand over his mouth, muffling the loud moan that escaped when Hakyeon finally pushed in and bottomed out. “Shit,” he mumbled, “why didn’t we do this ages ago?”

Hakyeon reached up and moved Taekwoon’s hand away from his mouth. “Don’t quiet yourself,” he murmured, voice strained. He could barely control himself and slowly began rolling his hips. The pyromancer felt amazing and he really did wonder why they hadn’t tried this before.

Taekwoon’s hand fell away from his mouth, fingers wrapping around Hakyeon’s instead. “Fuck me, baby,” he said, voice cracking on the last syllable as Hakyeon continued rolling his hips, “don’t be gentle.”

Hakyeon whined quietly. Even though he knew he wouldn’t hurt Taekwoon, the thought still flashed through his mind. Pushing it aside, he obediently snapped his hips forcefully, gradually picking up the pace.

Taekwoon body jerked with every thrust and kept whining beyond his own will. Hakyeon and the burn felt amazing and he was hoping deep down that this would never end.

Hakyeon was coming unraveled much more quickly that he would have liked to, but he held onto the control he had. “Y-You feel s-so good,” he moaned.

Taekwoon couldn’t respond. He was overwhelmed and soon found his hand wrapping around his own cock, chasing that release.

Hakyeon was determined to hold out until Taekwoon came, but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to. He was crawling dangerously toward the edge and debated how much longer he could wait before he had to pull out.

“Don’t slow down,” Taekwoon grumbled as Hakyeon’s pace started to falter, “please, god, fuck me harder if you can.” He was so close, _so close_ , and just need that last little push over the edge.

Hakyeon whimpered quietly, but picked up the pace regardless. He snapped his hips forcefully, nearly sending himself over the edge. “Taekwoon, I-I’m so close,” he warned.

“Cum then,” Taekwoon said immediately, “god, Hakyeon, cum in me, _please_.” Never in a million years did he think he would be begging like this.

One more thrust of his hips, sent Hakyeon tumbling over the edge with a loud moan. He tried to keep up the pace of his hips, but he was becoming sloppy as he rode down from his high.

Taekwoon came almost as soon as he felt Hakyeon’s release hit him. Feeling his lover’s sloppy movements just spurned it further and he came long and hard onto his torso.

Hakyeon leaned down and kissed Taekwoon’s forehead. “You’re so stunning,” he panted. Once he had mostly collected himself, he began to slowly pull out.

Taekwoon’s chest heaved and his back collapsed against the mattress as he came down from the high. “That was amazing,” he breathed out.

Hakyeon’s cheeks flushed. “I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you,” he said. When he had pulled out he rolled himself to the side and snuggled up to Taekwoon. He wasn’t lying there for more than a moment when it dawned on him that the pyromancer was still dirty. “Let me wipe you down,” he said, sitting up a little too quickly.

“I’ll clean myself up in a moment,” Taekwoon said, watching Hakyeon, “you should get back to Hana before she wakes up.”

Hakyeon’s shoulders slumped; he didn’t want to go back to his wife yet. “I-I thought I was spending the night here,” he whispered.

“People will get suspicious,” Taekwoon said quietly, “and if your father finds out, we’re done for.” In reality, Hakyeon probably had a few more hours still, but he didn’t want to take the risk of them falling asleep.

Hakyeon sighed sadly. He stood from the bed, grabbed his clothes from the floor, and disappeared into the bathroom. Once he was presentable, he walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge. His fingers combed themselves through Taekwoon’s hair and he tried to make the most of the last view minutes they had together.

Taekwoon sighed and pillowed his head near Hakyeon’s thigh. “I wish you didn’t have to go,” he said softly.

“Me too, but I’ll be back soon. I promise,” Hakyeon whispered. His eyes roamed over the pyromancer’s face and he smiled softly.

“I’ll be here,” Taekwoon said, “every night, I’ll wait for you.”

Hakyeon let his fingers absently run through Taekwoon’s hair for a while, reveling in the comfortable silence. Eventually, he leaned down and kissed the pyromancer gently. “Goodnight, Taekwoon-ah. Sleep well,” he murmured. He had to force himself to stand from the bed and walk towards the door.

Taekwoon felt a little hollow once Hakyeon left. He knew it was for their own good, that they couldn’t risk being caught together, but it hurt all the same. Absently, his fingers ghosted over the bruises on his chest.

Hakyeon felt lighter yet still heavy as he walked back to his room. He wished for nothing more than that they could be together, but it simply could never happen. He spent the majority of the walk cursing his father and cursing the fact that he had to have been born the crown prince. Sooner than he would have liked, he was outside of his chambers and he had to push any lingering thoughts of Taekwoon from his mind. Careful not to wake Hana, he entered the room and climbed into bed.

The next few days were tough. Taekwoon wasn’t able to be on the grounds much, his fire having come roaring back with a vengeance, and Hakyeon was busy with his filial duties. It was nearly a week before the prince was able to sneak into his room again.

Hakyeon had somehow managed to get himself some free time away from his father and his wife. After making sure neither of them were suspicious of him, he quickly made his way to Taekwoon’s room, not even bothering to knock before he slipped inside.

Taekwoon was nearly asleep when he heard his door creak open. He lifted the blanket back for Hakyeon purely out of instinct.

Hakyeon wasted no time climbing into bed and tucking himself into Taekwoon’s side. Only then did he let out the breath he had been holding. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you too,” Taekwoon replied. He held Hakyeon tight to him, pressing his lips to the older man’s forehead.

Hakyeon relaxed in Taekwoon’s hold. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come back. I really didn’t want to wait this long,” he said.

“We’ve both been busy,” Taekwoon said. One of his hands trailed to Hakyeon’s chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

Hakyeon hummed. He leaned into the pyromancer’s touch, not at all opposed to the slow pace.

Taekwoon dragged the shirt down Hakyeon’s arms until it got caught at his elbows, which was good enough for him. He simply wanted to admire his handiwork from their last encounter. “How did Hana feel about these?” he asked.

Hakyeon sighed. “She wasn’t exactly thrilled, but she didn’t even ask questions. She’s too smart to have not picked up on what’s going on,” he replied quietly, “I’m sure there was some jealousy.”

Taekwoon scowled. “She’s the intruder here,” he said, “it’s not her place to get jealous.”

“Easy, Taek,” Hakyeon said soothingly, “it’s not her fault that we’re forced apart. I’m trying to convince my father to let her go home for a few days to see her family, but I don’t know if he’ll allow it.”

“Convincing that man of anything is like pulling teeth,” Taekwoon grumbled, pulling Hakyeon close again, “has he seen them?”

“No, he hasn’t. I don’t think that’ll help my case very much,” Hakyeon said, “one day I’ll have the opportunity to be rebellious without having to worry about the consequences.”

“Maybe he’ll think they’re from her,” Taekwoon said, a little pouty, “he’ll think you two are getting it on constantly and expect a baby any minute.” He was just teasing Hakyeon at this point.

Hakyeon slapped Taekwoon’s arm gently. “Knock it off,” he said, mimicking the pyromancer’s pout, “I wish he was that easy to trick.”

“You two _have_ been trying, right?” Taekwoon asked, “I’ve heard that he’s planning to abdicate to you once you have an heir.” Of course, if it was true, it still meant a few more years, given that the heir needed to be alive past their first two years and also male.

Hakyeon simply nodded in response. As much as he didn’t want to be King, he couldn’t wait until the day his father was off of the throne and he was free to finally make his own decisions.

Taekwoon hummed. He hoped it would come sooner rather than later. They could be as public as they liked then.

Hakyeon shifted so that he could tuck his head into Taekwoon’s neck. “I just want to be free,” he mumbled.

“Assassination is still always an option,” Taekwoon muttered, “and you would decide whether or not to prosecute me, so we’d get away with it.”

Hakyeon pulled back and stared at Taekwoon with wide eyes. “You know we can’t do that. We’d both be arrested for treason and found guilty. And I’d much rather be alive and with you even if it’s in fleeting moments like this,” he said.

“Fires happen all the time,” Taekwoon said, “and they’re largely accidental.” He knew it was just a pipe dream, but he’d do it in a second if Hakyeon asked him to.

“Taekwoon, please,” Hakyeon said firmly, “can we stop thinking about killing my father and start enjoying tonight?” He ran his hand gently up and down Taekwoon’s arm.

“Oh, I am enjoying this immensely,” Taekwoon assured Hakyeon, “but I will drop the subject, yes. How was your week?”

Hakyeon shook his head. “It was fine. I had to be a little more careful than usual, but I’ve mastered the art of avoiding my father at all costs. And you? You said you were busy,” he said.

Taekwoon hummed and shrugged. “Burned a lot,” he said vaguely. He didn’t need Hakyeon to know how much of a problem the fire was becoming.

Hakyeon frowned and shifted closer again. “I worry about you,” he admitted, “I know it’s easier to hide everything, but I don’t want to see you hurting.” He looked up at the pyromancer with a soft expression.

“I’m fine, baby,” Taekwoon said, “it comes and goes but I’m handling it.”

“I wish there was more I could do for you,” Hakyeon said quietly. He tucked his head into Taekwoon’s neck and pressed himself as close as he could.

"It's okay," Taekwoon said reassuringly, "I'll make it through. It is getting better than it was."

Hakyeon sighed sadly. "Just please don't lie to me," he begged, "I can only help you if I know what's actually going on."

"I'm not, baby, I promise," Taekwoon said gently, "I won't hide anything from you."

"Thank you," Hakyeon murmured. He pressed a gentle kiss to the soft skin of Taekwoon's neck and breathed in the pyromancer's familiar scent. It felt like home, lying in the younger man's arms.

Taekwoon hid a yawn behind his hand. "You probably shouldn't stay much longer tonight," he said regretfully, "we're screwed if we fall asleep."

"Just a little while longer," Hakyeon pleaded, "I won't fall asleep I promise." He couldn't wait for the day when he wouldn't have to leave before the night was over.

"Once you have an heir," Taekwoon said softly, "you should tell Hana, let her have a consort, whatever. Make things a little easier on us."

"I will. I'll talk to her," Hakyeon promised, "we're so close to being able to together, but still so far." He had never wished for a child more than in that moment.

"Not now," Taekwoon clarified, "you need legitimacy first. But after..." He trailed off, feeling selfish.

"Don't worry, I'll wait," Hakyeon assured. He shuddered when he remembered his father's threat should there not be a baby soon.

Taekwoon felt Hakyeon shudder against him. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Hakyeon sighed sadly and hid his face more. "My father threatened me a while ago and now I have less than a month to announce a baby. And the worst part is that I know he'll go through with it," he admitted.

"What is he going to do if you don't?" Taekwoon asked. He was worried for Hakyeon. He knew babies weren't just something that were created by choice and he worried that the king's parameters were too stiff.

Hakyeon whimpered. "He...he threatened to banish you from the castle and prevent me from ever seeing you again," he whispered.

“Oh, baby,” Taekwoon said softly, “he could never keep me away from you. Don’t even worry about that.”

Hakyeon clung onto Taekwoon. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you,” he said. He thought he would feel relieved now that the younger man knew, but all he felt was worry.

“He will never keep me away from you,” Taekwoon said again, “he can banish me all he wants; I’ll find my way back.”

“You don’t understand. He would kill you without hesitation and...and I can’t let that happen,” Hakyeon said shakily, “just please don’t do anything rash. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me.”

“There’s nothing he could do that I can’t defend myself from,” Taekwoon said, “he can’t douse my power. I’ll always be able to survive him.”

Hakyeon exhaled shakily, but didn’t respond. If he didn’t want to leave before, he certainly didn’t want to leave now.

“I will kill him before he ever comes close to killing me,” Taekwoon finished softly, holding Hakyeon tight.

“I love you,” Hakyeon murmured sincerely. He untucked his head to look up at Taekwoon with glassy eyes.

“I love you too,” Taekwoon said, kissing Hakyeon’s forehead, “there’s no way I’ll ever stop.”

Hakyeon mustered a small smiled. He leaned up and kissed the corner of Taekwoon’s mouth. “I don’t want to leave,” he mumbled. It was childish, but it got harder and harder to leave each time he saw the pyromancer.

“It’s only for a little while longer,” Taekwoon said, turning his head to kiss Hakyeon properly, “we’ll be free soon.”

Hakyeon hummed and kissed Taekwoon again. He slowly began untangling himself from the pyromancer’s grip so he could sit up and fix his shirt.

Taekwoon sighed as he watched Hakyeon get ready to leave him again. In another world, another life, they would never have to worry about being caught, but that meant nothing for the one they were in.

“Goodnight, Taekwoon,” Hakyeon said as he pushed himself from the bed. He hoped he wouldn’t have to wait another night to see the pyromancer, but he didn’t want to make promises that could be broken too easily.

“Good night, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said. He turned away from the door, unable to watch his lover leave.

Hakyeon was grateful that he was light on his feet, able to make the trek back to his room with not so much as one sound. Eventually he arrived at his chambers, and once again had to carefully enter the room and climb into bed without waking Hana.

The next few weeks were the same routine. Hakyeon would sneak into Taekwoon’s bed in the middle of the night and sneak out a few hours later. Sometimes they had sex, other times they just laid in silence. They couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief yet though; Hana still hadn’t announced a pregnancy.

Hakyeon knew his father would be summoning him any day now and the waiting was agonizing. He didn’t know how much time he would have left with the pyromancer and it was eating away at him. One afternoon he couldn’t stand to wait, so he snuck off to Taekwoon’s room, content to just hide there even if the younger man wasn’t there.

Taekwoon knew that Hakyeon’s deadline and decided to pay a visit to the one person that held all of this in her hands: Hana. He doubted that Hakyeon had told her about the king’s threat, but it was time to cross that barrier.

Hakyeon wasn’t surprised that Taekwoon was missing; he didn’t blame the pyromancer in the slightest. Shedding his cloak, he crawled into the bed and wrapped himself in the sheets, effectively enveloping himself in Taekwoon’s scent.

“How exactly do you expect me to fake a pregnancy?” Hana asked, crossing her arms. She was absolutely tiny in comparison to Taekwoon, but he respected her regardless. Not enough to not threaten her, of course, but that wasn’t surprising. “By faking a miscarriage,” Taekwoon said, returning the stance, “the only one that could know its a lie is your precious lady-in-waiting.”

Hakyeon’s hand absentmindedly ran across the sheets beneath him. It was only a matter of time before everything began crashing down around him. Oh how he resented his father, and the position he was born in, and how incompetent Sunwoo was. He hated that he blamed everyone else, but if it were up to him everything would be so much different.

“And why should I? To save you? The man fucking my husband?” Hana demanded. Taekwoon smirked and bent over to her level. “Hakyeon’s father would kill your dear Seulgi as easily as he would kill me, and not nicely either,” he said quietly, “don’t use candles if you wish to keep secrets from me.”

Try as he might, Hakyeon was simply too nervous to get any rest. Instead he wrapped himself around a pillow, willing his father to give him a few more days. He knew it was futile and it seemed that begging for more time was his only option, even though it was sure to get him nowhere.

“The king will give us all more time if he believes you lost a child,” Taekwoon said, straightening and turning towards the door. “Better bloody your undergarments, Princess.”

Hakyeon stiffened when he heard heavy footsteps in the hallway. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed them to keep going, willed them not to be a guard looking for him, willed them to just be a part of his imagination.

Taekwoon was surprised to see Hakyeon in his bed when he returned to his chamber to retrieve his jacket. “Why are you here, baby?” he asked, “you know it isn’t safe.”

Hakyeon jumped when the door opened, but he immediately relaxed when he realized it was just Taekwoon. He leapt out of bed and wrapped himself around the pyromancer. “I know, I know, but I only have a couple days, if that, and I want to spend time with you,” he explained.

“You have more than that,” Taekwoon said, stepping toward Hakyeon, “I spoke with Hana and she has agreed to buy us time.”

Hakyeon took a few steps back, eyes wide. “You talked to Hana? What did you say? How can she buy us more time?” he asked nervously. He knew Taekwoon would never hurt his wife, but he still worried about how their conversation went.

“She’s going to fake losing a pregnancy, which should convince your father to back off for a little while,” Taekwoon said simply.

Hakyeon didn’t know what to think. More than anything he was surprised Hana had agreed to this so easily. “And if this doesn’t work?” he asked hesitantly.

“How are you asking?” Taekwoon said, “if she doesn’t do it? Or if your father doesn’t believe her?”

“If my father doesn’t believe her. He may be insufferable, but unfortunately for all of us he’s a lot more clever than I’d like to admit. If this doesn’t work we’re _all_ going to suffer,” Hakyeon said. He didn’t want to lose Taekwoon, but if this didn’t go according to plan, he would lose more than just the pyromancer.

“If your father doesn’t believe her, then I will handle him myself, but I’ve given her some very good motivation to make it believable,” Taekwoon said vaguely. There were few things he wouldn’t do to make sure he and Hakyeon stayed safe.

Hakyeon narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean by motivation? What exactly did you do to her and don’t you dare lie to me Taekwoon,” he said firmly. This was the only chance they had at staying together, and while he was incredibly grateful for Taekwoon’s plan, he didn’t want anyone hurt in the process.

“I just made sure she’s aware that I’m aware and how your father will react if he becomes aware,” Taekwoon said, “it’ll turn out fine, trust me baby.”

Hakyeon sighed and let his shoulders droop. “As long as no one gets hurt,” he mumbled. It was as close to an agreement as he was going to give.

“Normally, I wouldn’t be advocating for my lover to sleep with someone else, but please, Hakyeon, you’ve got to knock her up soon,” Taekwoon said seriously, “I can only buy us so much time.”

“You think I’m not trying? You think I just wasted these past few months hoping my father would change his mind?” Hakyeon asked, getting defensive, “I know we don’t have a lot of time, but there really isn’t much more I can be doing.”

Taekwoon sighed heavily. This wasn’t the decision he wanted to make, but it had to be done. “This is our last night,” he said, “until she truthfully announces a pregnancy, I’m not going to let you in here. I doubt she’ll let you leave her either.”

“Taekwoon, you don’t have to do this. Do you remember what happened last time we stopped seeing each other? We were miserable and barely functioning. This isn’t good for either of us,” Hakyeon said desperately.

“This isn’t us breaking up,” Taekwoon said, “this is just us playing it safe until we’re sure that we’re in the clear.”

Hakyeon sighed sadly. “Fine, we’ll play it safe,” he said. He retreated back into the room to grab his cloak from where he had tossed it onto the floor.

Taekwoon felt bad that he had to make Hakyeon upset, but it was for both of their own goods. There would be no child if Taekwoon kept distracting Hakyeon.

Hakyeon slipped his cloak on and took one last look at Taekwoon. “I hope this works,” he said, before heading towards the door.

Fortunately for everyone involved, the king fell for the rise hook, line, and sinker. They had bought themselves another two months, which should have been plenty of time. In the meantime, Taekwoon started devising a plan in case it wasn’t.

Hakyeon rarely left his chambers. He spent all of his free time showering Hana in the attention he had been withholding from her the past few months. Hopefully improving their relationship would make this whole process a little bit easier. Hakyeon kept close track of the days, not wanting to run close to the deadline again.

The deadline was slowly creeping up and Taekwoon was starting to get worried. He had his plan set in case they didn’t make it, but he was putting all his faith into Hakyeon and Hana.

Hakyeon was sitting his his chair and staring out the window, one knee pulled up to his chest, with his chin resting on it. A pair of arms gently wrapped themselves around his shoulders and he could feel Hana’s presence next to him. “Hello, my princess,” he greeted quietly. When Hana didn’t say anything, he turned around and looked up at his wife. The soft smile on her face told him everything he needed to know and he leapt out of the chair to envelope Hana in a hug.

Taekwoon heard the announcement fairly quickly, all things considered. Seulgi had pulled him aside into an alcove and whispered the news to him, unable to hide the hurt in her voice. At least they were in the same boat with this.

All Hakyeon wanted to do was see Taekwoon, but he had to wait for his father to make an official announcement. Of course no time was wasted, and soon the whole kingdom knew there would be a new member of the royal family in just a few short months.

Taekwoon sat on his bed, waiting for Hakyeon to come to him. It was inevitable that he got antsy, but he stayed patient. They’d gone two months; what has another couple hours?

After making a public appearance, Hakyeon was finally able to have time to himself without his father breathing down his back. Of course the first thing he did was head straight to Taekwoon’s room. He had to admit he was a little nervous about seeing the pyromancer after how they had left off a few months ago.

The corner where Taekwoon’s bed was had been cast into shadow a while ago, but he still sat, waiting. When Hakyeon finally stepped into the room, it was like that first time all those months ago. Taekwoon couldn’t help himself; he slammed Hakyeon into the door once again to kiss him deeply.

Hakyeon hummed. Oh, how he had missed this. All of his reservations about seeing Taekwoon melted away, and he kissed the pyromancer back easily.

“Too long,” Taekwoon growled when they parted, “hope no one expects you to be walking tomorrow.”

Hakyeon shivered in anticipation. “I missed you too,” he said quietly, hands coming up to rest on the pyromancer’s chest.

Taekwoon pulled Hakyeon tight against him. “I’m never gonna make you leave me that long again,” he said, “especially not for someone else.”

“Good because I don’t want to leave you again,” Hakyeon said. He threw his arms around Taekwoon’s neck and kissed the pyromancer again. His confidence had grown so much since they had first gotten together.

“I want to fucking ruin you,” Taekwoon murmured, shoving his face into Hakyeon’s neck and biting harshly.

Hakyeon opened his mouth to respond, but was caught off guard by the gasp that rushed past his lips. He instinctively tipped his head back, resting against the door.

“There’s a guard at the end of the hallway,” Taekwoon murmured, “should I make sure he hears you? Let your father know exactly how he got played?”

Hakyeon whimpered quietly. He knew at least some of the guards had to have heard them at some point, but the thought of being overheard was still exhilarating.

While Taekwoon absolutely would fuck Hakyeon into the door, no questions asked, he didn’t particularly want to, nor did he think Hakyeon wanted to, so he dragged the older man over to the bed.

Hakyeon let himself get dragged across the room, a little shaky on his feet. He was more than happy to collapse onto the bed and scoot towards the middle.

Taekwoon clambered on top of Hakyeon, just barely keeping himself from tearing off the prince’s clothes. Instead, he bit into his neck again.

“Taekwoon,” Hakyeon gasped out. These marks were going to last for days, and he wasn’t the least bit upset about it.

“Mine,” Taekwoon growled, biting a little harder, “no one else’s. All mine.”

Hakyeon couldn’t help the strained chuckle that slipped out. “A little possessive, hm?” he teased.

“She’s gotten to touch for the last two months and I haven’t,” Taekwoon said, licking over the spot he’d just been biting, “excuse me for giving everyone a reminder.”

“I sure hope the reminder is more than a couple of hickeys,” Hakyeon goaded. He draped his arms over Taekwoon’s shoulders, settling himself on the bed more comfortably.

“You’re not gonna remember your own name by the time I’m done,” Taekwoon promised lewdly, “just mine.”

That sent a shiver of anticipation down Hakyeon’s spine. “Do your worst,” he said. He was completely at the pyromancer’s mercy and he felt an odd sense of relief.

Taekwoon pulled himself away from Hakyeon, but only long enough to flip the prince onto his stomach and pull forcefully at his clothes. They didn’t rip, but it wasn’t long before the older man was naked. Taekwoon presses himself against him again, lining his hard clothed cock up with the cleft of Hakyeon’s ass.

Hakyeon barely had time to register what was happening and suddenly he was naked and on his stomach. He smirked when he felt how hard Taekwoon was already and with the little bravery he had, he pushed his ass back.

Taekwoon grinded against Hakyeon’s ass slowly, teasing the older man. At some point, he ended up removing his clothes and retrieving the pot of oil, but continued his slow grinding.

Hakyeon whined quietly. He tried to turn around so he could see Taekwoon, but no matter which way he twisted he wasn’t successful.

Taekwoon grabbed the pot of oil and slicked up his hands. He spent some time just kneading and massaging Hakyeon’s ass and fondling his balls before getting to the next part.

Hakyeon grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it to muffle his loud moan. He pushed back against Taekwoon’s hand, wanting more.

Taekwoon pulled Hakyeon’s cheeks apart and let a long drop of spit fall onto his hole. He smeared it around for a moment before pushing two fingers in and crooking them.

Hakyeon cried out loudly. He wasn’t expecting Taekwoon to move this fast and he was still reeling from the sudden intrusion.

Taekwoon grinned and started moving his fingers. He kept it slow at first, knowing Hakyeon still needed to adjust, but he picked up the pace quickly.

Hakyeon’s mouth opened and closed and the best he could form was a strangled whine. Taekwoon’s long fingers felt so good inside of him and he had no idea how he had lasted two months without this.

“Let me hear you, baby,” Taekwoon murmured, crooking his fingers again in a search for Hakyeon’s prostate. When the older man suddenly clenched around him, he smirked.

“Taekwoon!” Hakyeon cried out when the younger man’s fingers brushed over the spot he needed them most, “there, again, please.” He chest heaved and he tightened his grip on the pillow below him.

Taekwoon pulled his fingers back for a moment so he could press a third one in. He continued fingering Hakyeon quickly, wanting to get to the main event already.

“You don’t have to rush,” Hakyeon gasped out, “we have plenty of time now.” He wanted to enjoy the time he had with Taekwoon now that they didn’t have to worry as much.

“Would you rather go slow now or go again later?” Taekwoon asked. He knew which he would prefer. He crooked his fingers yet again, pushing them hard against Hakyeon’s prostate.

Hakyeon’s response was a resounding moan of pleasure. His chest was heaving and he felt himself slowly coming undone.

Taekwoon took that as the answer he was looking for. He pulled his fingers out of Hakyeon and got off the bed for a moment to get rid of his pants and get some more oil from the pot.

With shaky arms, Hakyeon pushed himself to lay on his back. He wanted to see the pyromancer, even if it was only for a fleeting moment.

“Like what you see?” Taekwoon asked with a smirk. He climbed back on the bed and tapped Hakyeon’s hip. “Back over, baby, trust me.”

Hakyeon whined quietly. He let his eyes roam over Taekwoon’s naked form before obediently rolling back over.

Taekwoon smoothed his hands down Hakyeon’s back as he pressed up against his ass. “Ready, baby?”

“I am,” Hakyeon said, a little breathless. He relaxed as best he could, but his body was tense with anticipation.

Taekwoon stroked himself a few times before pressing against Hakyeon’s entrance. “Beg for it,” he whispered, nibbling at Hakyeon’s earlobe.

“Taekwoon, please,” Hakyeon begged immediately, “I need you.” He pushed his hips back desperately. Despite how fast Taekwoon had prepped him, it still felt like an eternity.

With a smirk, Taekwoon slowly pushed in. He grunted as he realized how tight Hakyeon still was, especially with the new angle.

Hakyeon gritted his teeth and breathed through the discomfort. “Y-you feel so big,” he gasped out. Despite his immediate hesitations, Hakyeon slowly began to realize that he didn’t mind the sting.

Taekwoon rolled his hips slowly. He wanted Hakyeon to really feel this, how easily and perfectly they connected.

Hakyeon moaned into his pillow. It was taking him a little longer than usual to get used to the stretch, but he didn’t mind. “You can go faster,” he breathed, “please.”

Taekwoon kept his movements slow, partially to tease Hakyeon and partially because his lover was still a bit too tight for going faster to be comfortable for either of them.

Hakyeon huffed quietly. His hands came up to hold the pillow again. “Wanna see you,” he mumbled quietly.

“Soon,” Taekwoon promised, “give me one this way, baby, alright?” He wasn’t going to drag this out for much longer; he really did want this to be good for Hakyeon.

Hakyeon nodded against the pillow. Tentatively, he rolled his hips back against Taekwoon’s.

Taekwoon stopped for a moment to pull Hakyeon’s hips up. When he started moving again, it was faster and a little harder too, wanting to get his lover off quickly. They had a lot of nights to make up for.

Hakyeon’s mouth fell open when Taekwoon increased his pace. The friction felt amazing and every thrust of the younger man’s hips sent him closer and closer to the edge.

Taekwoon reached around Hakyeon’s hip and wrapped a hand around his cock. “Come on, baby,” he said, “cum for me.”

Between Taekwoon’s sharp thrusts and his hand, Hakyeon wasn’t able to last much longer. He came onto the sheets beneath him a loud moan. He put all of his energy into holding himself up on his shaky elbows.

It only took a few more thrusts for Taekwoon to cum in Hakyeon. He panted as he came down and carefully lowered Hakyeon to the mattress. After a few moments, he slowly pulled out, letting Hakyeon roll over and laying next to him. He needed a few minutes to recover.

Hakyeon wasted no time tucking himself into Taekwoon’s side. He was still breathing heavily and was content to simply lie there for a few minutes. “You never cease to amaze me,” he whispered.

Taekwoon wrapped an arm around Hakyeon’s back, pulling him in closer. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he replied quietly.

Hakyeon smiled contently. “If only I could help you gain control again,” he mumbled. He wondered if the pyromancer missed performing as much as he missed watching the shows.

“I’ll always have control for you,” Taekwoon said, “just ask and I’ll always have something to show you.”

Hakyeon picked up his head. “Do you think you can do something small now?” he asked hopefully, “nothing fancy. Maybe something like the birds you used to make?”

Taekwoon lifted his hand off Hakyeon’s shoulder and watched as tiny birds spilled from his fingertips. They were smaller than usual and didn’t stay long, but they were there.

Hakyeon’s eyes followed each of the small birds. His smile widened and he was mesmerized by the small fire creatures. “Thank you,” he said, turning his head to kiss Taekwoon’s cheek.

“Of course, baby,” Taekwoon said, “anything for you.” He would do anything Hakyeon asked of him.

Hakyeon laid his head back down. He reached for Taekwoon’s hand and threaded their fingers together. Do you...do you think I’ll make a good King?” he asked suddenly. Now that they were expecting a child, it had occurred to him just how little time he had to prepare to take the throne.

“You are going to be an _amazing_ king,” Taekwoon said, “and an amazing dad, and you’re already an amazing husband and an amazing lover. You’re amazing at everything you do, Hakyeon-ah.”

Hakyeon felt his cheeks flush and immediately hid his head in Taekwoon’s neck. “I think you give me too much credit,” he whispered.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Taekwoon said, “and I can’t wait for you to finally show everyone how good and smart you are.”

Hakyeon smiled and kissed Taekwoon’s neck softly. “I wish everyone felt the way you do,” he said.

“I’m sure they will soon,” Taekwoon said, “you’re gonna be best king this country has ever had, I can see it now.”

“Don’t jinx me now,” Hakyeon said, only half teasing, “unless you plan to make sure you’re right.”

Taekwoon hummed. “I’ll terrorize them into liking you if I have to,” he joked. He leaned down and kissed Hakyeon softly.

Hakyeon rolled his eyes fondly. He happily kissed Taekwoon back, reveling in how perfectly their lips fit together.

Taekwoon got lost in Hakyeon. He was happier now that he had his lover back and his control began to improve as a result. However, as Hana’s pregnancy progressed, Hakyeon was pulled away more and more to filial duties.

Hakyeon did his best to split his time as evenly as possible between Taekwoon and Hana, but it became more and more difficult as the weeks ticked by. At one point he would only see Taekwoon in passing, stopping only to give him a kiss and an update before disappearing off again. By the time they baby was due, Hakyeon spent all of his time exclusively by Hana’s side.

Once the baby was born, fortunately a son, Hakyeon disappeared altogether, but that was to be expected. It was nearly impossible for Taekwoon to catch even a glimpse of the new father, but he handled it exactly as he knew how - by running away.

Hakyeon fell in love with his son the moment he laid eyes on him. He spent the first few weeks after he was born taking care of his family and deciding on a name. Hana had suggested Sanghyuk and Hakyeon thought it was perfect. Once the baby had reached a month old, Hakyeon wanted to introduce him to Taekwoon, but the pyromancer was nowhere to be found.

Taekwoon spent as little time on the castle grounds as he could, but it wasn’t long before the king called for him to perform at the baby’s public announcement.

Hakyeon wished the circumstances had been a little more private to see the pyromancer after so long, but there was nothing he could do. He just hoped Taekwoon didn’t leave right after the ceremony so they would have time to talk.

Taekwoon wasn’t surprised when Hakyeon dragged him aside once he was done performing. “The baby’s beautiful,” he said, smile not quite reaching his eyes, “you two must be so happy.”

“Thank you,” Hakyeon said, “we are. We’re just glad he’s healthy and that everything went well. I want you to meet him properly though, once everything has calmed down a little.”

“Just let me know when,” Taekwoon said. He was determined to be as good of an uncle to the boy as he absolutely could be.

“Tomorrow. I’ll bring him down to your room tomorrow. You’ll be here, right?” Hakyeon asked, looking at Taekwoon uncertainly.

“I’ll come to you,” Taekwoon promised. He was itching to leave the room; he needed to finish burning off before he was safe to be around anyone.

Hakyeon nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he said happily.

“Yes, tomorrow,” Taekwoon said. He pulled his arm from Hakyeon’s grasp and all but ran out of the room. By the time he was able to get himself back to the castle, it was nearly morning and he had only a few hours to crash into bed before he was supposed to visit Hakyeon and Hana.

Hakyeon knew Taekwoon had his reasons for leaving soon, but it still hurt to watch the younger man go. He returned to his family and was happy when they finally returned to their chambers. Both Sanghyuk and Hana were exhausted from the celebration and fell asleep quickly. Hakyeon had a harder time falling and staying asleep, too excited for when Taekwoon would come up to visit them.

The few hours of sleep Taekwoon managed to get did absolutely nothing for the heavy bags under his eyes, but there was nothing he could do about that now. He was already running late. He changed into more presentable clothing and made his way to the prince’s room.

Hakyeon’s wide smile when the door opened, quickly faded when he realized how exhausted Taekwoon looked. He did his best to mask his concern, but he knew it was clear in his eyes. “I’m glad you decided to come by. Sanghyuk’s been wanting to meet you,” he said, lifting the sleeping baby out of the crib.

“I mean, he’s a month old, so I doubt it, but sure,” Taekwoon joked tiredly. He carefully accepted the baby in his arms with a soft coo. He may not seem like it, but Taekwoon absolutely adored children.

A small smile pulled at Hakyeon’s lips. “I was hoping he would be awake by now, but he’s taking a little bit longer of a nap than usual. He should be awake soon,” he said.

“That’s okay,” Taekwoon said softly, “he looks so much like you, Hakyeon-ah.”

Hakyeon’s smile widened and he took a seat on the edge of the bed next to Hana. “We’ll have to see if it stays that way when he gets older,” he said.

Taekwoon carefully sat down the foot of the bed, carefully cradling Sanghyuk in his arms. It didn’t take much longer before the baby woke up with a gigantic yawn.

“Hi, Sanghyukkie. Are you waking up to say hi to Uncle?” Hakyeon murmured. He really was absolutely infatuated with his son and he couldn’t wait to watch him grow up.

Taekwoon adjusted Sanghyuk so he could let the baby grip onto his finger. “Hi, Sanghyuk-ah,” he said softly.

Hakyeon was thrilled with how much Taekwoon loved Sanghyuk, and it was obvious how much the baby adored the pyromancer. That meant Taekwoon was around a lot more and was even able to spend some time with Hana. Over the next several months. Hakyeon worked diligently to prepare himself for the throne and soon enough his coronation day was upon them.

Taekwoon was, to no one’s surprise, expected to have a new show ready for the reception after the coronation. He spent the preceding months splitting his time between Hakyeon and preparing for the new show.

Hakyeon’s nerves had been running high all day. And it all came to a head when he took his seat in his father’s, now his, throne. It felt odd, but he knew he would get used to it eventually. More than anything, he was excited for Taekwoon’s show, and his curiosity to what he had prepared was getting the better of him.

Taekwoon was excited to see Hakyeon finally take the throne. Hopefully, things would get better for them now, and better for everyone. He knew Hakyeon already had plans to replace some of his father’s more restrictive policies. Selfishly, though, he was excited for himself and Hakyeon to be able to be more open. As the end of the night approached, he slipped away from the party to get ready.

Sanghyuk was an angel throughout the whole ceremony, which was all Hakyeon could ask of the one year old. When it was time for Taekwoon’s show, he took his son onto his lap and wrapped his arms around the boy so he couldn’t squirm off.

Taekwoon didn’t actually prepare a new show; that was too risky with the way his control had been fluctuating lately. Instead, he returned to an old classic that the old king had never seen before: the first show Hakyeon had ever seen.

Hakyeon felt himself traveling all the way back to when he first met Taekwoon in the city, trying to conceal his identity after sneaking out. He smiled at the memory and was glad that all of the guests enjoyed the show too. He wanted to tell Taekwoon right then and there how much the performance meant to him, but he couldn’t see the pyromancer until later than evening.

Taekwoon smiled as the crowd gasped when he plummeted off the balcony. He had missed performing like this. He knew it was no longer safe for him to do so consistently, but maybe a show like this every now and then wouldn’t hurt.

Sanghyuk whimpered quietly and tucked his head into Hakyeon’s chest when Taekwoon fell. “It’s okay, baby. He’ll come back,” Hakyeon said soothingly. He coaxed his son to look again so he didn’t miss Taekwoon’s reappearance.

Taekwoon breathed a sigh of relief when he burst up above the balcony again. He landed carefully on the railing and stepped down with a low bow.

“See, he’s okay!” Hakyeon said when Taekwoon landed on the balcony. He applauded the pyromancer and couldn’t help the wide grin that had spread across his face.

Taekwoon smiled even wider as he saw Sanghyuk clapping and giggling. He walked over and picked up the little prince to kiss his cheek.

Sanghyuk threw his arms around Taekwoon’s neck and snuggled closer when his uncle picked him up. “He really adores you,” Hakyeon said.

“That’s good, cause I adore him too,” Taekwoon said with a smile. He let the boy snuggle, not quite ready to send him back to his parents just yet.

Hakyeon’s heart swelled. Taekwoon was so good with his son and treated him as if he was his own and Sanghyuk loved all of the time he got to spend with his uncle. Even Hana seemed content with how close Sanghyuk was with Taekwoon. Everything was slowly coming together and sooner rather than later, everything would finally be the way it was meant to be.

Taekwoon finally handed the baby back when he started falling asleep. Nearly everyone had left at this point, leaving him with just the king and queen and the king’s father.

Hakyeon laid his son over his shoulder and rubbed his back soothingly. He froze when he saw his father making his way towards them.

Taekwoon ducked away as he saw Hakyeon’s father coming. That was not the man he answered to any longer.

Hakyeon was disappointed when Taekwoon took his leave but he didn’t blame the pyromancer. He handed a half asleep Sanghyuk over to Hana and promised his wife he would meet her in their chambers in a little while. After that, he finally pushed himself to stand so he could. His father took him on a short walk to the gardens, expressing how proud he was of Hakyeon, offering a few more pieces of advice, and reminding him to think clearly before making any decisions. Overall, it was one of the most pleasant conversations he had ever had with his father. He excused himself before it could go downhill and made his way through the castle, back to his family.

Taekwoon intercepted Hakyeon when he made it inside, dragging him into an alcove and kissing him silly. “You did amazing,” he said when they parted.

“Thank you,” Hakyeon said shyly. He wrapped his arms around Taekwoon and hugged the younger man tightly. “Your show meant a lot to me,” he murmured sincerely.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Taekwoon said, flushing slightly. Hakyeon’s praise meant more than anything else.

“It brought back a lot of fond memories,” Hakyeon said quietly. Long gone were the days when he would sneak into the city to escape his responsibilities and destress.

“I’ll perform it for you any time,” Taekwoon said sincerely, “just ask.”

“Now that we’ll be able to be alone without being questioned, I might take you up on that,” Hakyeon said. He knew he was being selfish, but he wanted the pyromancer all to himself.

Taekwoon smiled and kissed Hakyeon again. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” Hakyeon replied easily. He wrapped his arms around Taekwoon’s neck instead and kissed the pyromancer back.

As hoped, the next few weeks became much easier. Taekwoon was able to actually spend time with Hakyeon without fear of death.

Hakyeon fell into his new role as easily as he could. It was exhausting of course, but nothing he couldn’t get used to. He found his second favorite thing about being King was getting the opportunity to meet the people he governed. His favorite of course was having more time to spend with Taekwoon without being questioned. The only downfall he had found was the inability to leave the castle at any time, meaning he wouldn’t be able to go into the city unless it was a special celebration.

Taekwoon was actually busy in a positive way for once. There was a magician’s festival coming up and he’d been asked, as the official artisan of the court, to put together a performance to end the night. He couldn’t wait for Hakyeon to see it.

Hakyeon was incredibly grateful for the chance to get out of the castle. More than anything he was happy that he would be able to bring Sanghyuk to the festival. He didn’t want his son to be trapped in the castle like he was. He knew it would be nearly impossible, but he hoped he would be able to find Eunwoo; he wanted his brother to at least meet his son.

Taekwoon was being more careful than ever. He practiced constantly and he made sure he was taking every precaution. He couldn’t risk anyone getting hurt.

Hakyeon wasn’t able to stray far from the guards, but he pointed out little things here and there to Sanghyuk as they walked through the city. The boy was still too young to understand everything, but he looked around with wide eyes and infinite curiosity.

Taekwoon was sitting on the railing of the main bridge, waiting for night to fall. He was already covered head to toe in streaks of ash, despite having a few hours of daylight left.

Hakyeon spotted Taekwoon sitting on the edge of the bridge and managed to sneak away to talk to him for a few moments. “I missed seeing you like this,” he said as he walked up to the pyromancer.

“If everything goes well, you may see me like this more,” Taekwoon said with a smile. He reached out and tapped Sanghyuk’s nose, making the boy giggle and covering the tip of his nose in soot.

Hakyeon mimicked Taekwoon’s smile. “Oh that would be wonderful. I’d love to see you start performing more regularly again,” he said happily.

“You know I’ll do shows for you anytime,” Taekwoon said, “I don’t know about going public again though.”

“I know you will,” Hakyeon assured, “whatever you want to do, you know I’ll support you completely. I’m sure the public misses your shows as well though.”

“We’ll see,” Taekwoon said again. Sanghyuk held out his arms to him with a whine. “Sorry, baby, I’m all dirty,” he said, showing the boy his hands.

“You can play with Uncle later,” Hakyeon assured his son, “I’ve been trying to see if I could find Eunwoo to introduce him to Sanghyuk, but I haven’t seen him at all.

“He’s probably at Bin’s stall,” Taekwoon said, “Bin does dream magic and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Eunwoo without him.”

Hakyeon’s eyes lit up. “I’ll look for him there. Thank you,” he said. He hadn’t seen his youngest brother in months.

“Of course,” Taekwoon said, “I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Say bye-bye, Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon said. The toddler pouted, but waved goodbye to Taekwoon anyway. With one last look over his shoulder, Hakyeon made his way back to his guards to be escorted to Bin’s stall.

Taekwoon waved back to Sanghyuk then hopped down from his ledge. He stepped further away from the milling crowds to continue practicing.

Hakyeon walked through the crowd until he reached the stall he was looking for. Sure enough his brother was there happily talking with the stall owner. Taking a deep breath, Hakyeon approached the pair. “Eunwoo?” he greeted cautiously.

Eunwoo turned around when he heard his name and smiled widely. “Hakyeon hyung!” he greeted happily, stepping forward to hug his oldest brother.

Hakyeon smiled happily and hugged his brother back as best as he could. “It’s so good to see you,” he said sincerely, “I see you’re doing well for yourself as always.”

Eunwoo flushed slightly. “I heard Father finally abdicated,” he said, “congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Hakyeon said politely, “I know it’s probably the last place you want to be, but you’re welcomed at the castle anytime.” He pulled away and shifted Sanghyuk in his arms. “But more importantly I wanted to introduce you to someone.”

“Yes, hello,” Eunwoo said, turning his attention to Sanghyuk, “I was at his announcement but we didn’t get the chance to stay long and actually meet him.”

“We?” Hakyeon asked curiously, sneaking a glance at the stall owner behind them, “If I had known you were there I would have made it a point to see you.”

“Bin had to get back to the stall so we had to leave pretty quickly,” Eunwoo said apologetically, “I should introduce you. Bin-ah!”

A small smile pulled at Hakyeon’s lips as the stall owner approached him. Sanghyuk whined quietly and gripped onto the front of his robes.

“Hyung, this is Bin, and Jinwoo’s over there with a customer,” Eunwoo said, “they’re my partners. Binnie, this is my older brother, Hakyeon.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bin-ah,” Hakyeon said politely, “I’m sorry we haven’t had the chance to meet formally before now.”

“Your majesty, the pleasure is mine,” Bin said, bowing deeply. Eunwoo flushed deeply and elbowed him, embarrassed.

“Such formalities aren’t necessary,” Hakyeon said, “it’s nice to finally meet the people who make my brother so happy. And I want you to know that should you need anything don’t hesitate to come to me.” He shot a look at Eunwoo to ensure that he understood. The younger boy had avoided the castle as much as possible his whole life and Hakyeon hoped that could change.

“Everything alright over here?” Jinwoo asked, crossing his arms as he stepped in front of Eunwoo. He had seen the palace guards and immediately gotten defensive.

Hakyeon looked at the shorter man who stepped in front of his brother. He couldn’t help but smile at the act of protectiveness. “Oh, yes, everything is quite alright. I was just stopping by to see my brother and introduce him to his nephew,” Hakyeon explained, “you must be Jinwoo. It’s a pleasure to formally meet you.”

“It’s fine, hyung,” Eunwoo said, pulling Jinwoo back by the shoulder, “Hakyeon hyung is family.” “And I’m not particularly inclined to be friendly to your family,” Jinwoo said, narrowing his eyes.

Hakyeon was almost impressed by how incredibly different Eunwoo’s partners were. He drew himself up to his full height and held Sanghyuk tightly against him. “You do not have to be friendly towards me, but I ask that you do not restrict Eunwoo from having a relationship with me. I can promise I won’t be a bother to you and I am hopeful the reverse is true as well,” he said evenly. He didn’t like to use his status to get what he wanted, but he wasn’t going to be kept away from his brother any longer.

Jinwoo studied Hakyeon for a minute before finally relaxing his shoulders. “If Eunwoo trusts you, then we do too,” he said gruffly, holding out his hand to shake the king’s.

Hakyeon extending his hand to shake the younger man’s hand. “I’d like to thank both of you for taking such good care of my brother and I hope that we’ll be able to get to know each other better in the upcoming months,” he said. Sanghyuk was looking between the men cautiously, not quite sure what to think.

“Ass,” Eunwoo muttered, smacking Jinwoo’s shoulder before turning his attention back to Hakyeon, “we’d love to have you and your family for dinner, hyung.”

Hakyeon held back a chuckle. “We would love that,” he said happily. He couldn’t think of the last time he had ever even shared a meal with his brother. Of course he would much rather bring Taekwoon with him, but it simply wasn’t feasible.

Eunwoo glanced at the guards standing a short while a way before looking back to his brother. “You should bring Leo hyung with you,” he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

It was Hakyeon’s turn to narrow his eyes. “And what would that look like for me?” he said, “you know you can come see him anytime you want. Although he is around the city much more often than at the castle.”

“Our residence is heavily protected,” Eunwoo said, “you’ll be fine, hyung, lighten up a bit.”

“You really are so rebellious,” Hakyeon said with a fond shake of his head, “I’m sure Leo will be more than happy to come see you.” Sanghyuk dropped his head onto his father’s shoulder with a tired sigh.

“Hey, I did what I had to to hide from you-know-who,” Eunwoo said with a shrug, “no one will catch you, trust me.”

Hakyeon smiled sadly. “I trust you,” he assured, “and I plan on taking advantage of all of the time I have to see you.”

Eunwoo stepped forward and hugged his brother tightly. “You should get going,” he said, “it’s getting dark and I’m sure Leo wants you to see his show.”

Hakyeon hugged Eunwoo back. “I’ll see you later. And I meant what I said if any of you need anything,” he whispered before regretfully stepping back.

Eunwoo felt both of his partners step in next to him and wrap arms around his waist as his brother and nephew disappeared back into the crowd. It was nice to talk with him again. He wondered if Sunwoo felt the same.

Hakyeon made his way back to the guards to be escorted to where they could have a good view of Taekwoon’s show. Sanghyuk reached out for Hana when he caught sight of her and Hakyeon handed the toddler over.

Taekwoon waited until he saw the helmets of the guards in the crowd to begin his show. He was the grand finale of the night and he didn’t think he’d ever been more nervous for a show. Taking a deep breath, he stepped up on the ledge and began.

Sanghyuk perked up when he saw Taekwoon climb onto the ledge. Hakyeon smiled softly; his son seemed to know exactly what was happening.

Taekwoon was glad that the show went smoothly. He hoped that Hakyeon was impressed; his opinion was the only one that mattered.

Hakyeon loved Taekwoon’s show just as he knew he would. As the crowd was slowly dispersing, he snuck over to the pyromancer to tell him how well he did.

“Hey, did you like it?” Taekwoon asked as he cleaned up, smiling at Hakyeon and Sanghyuk. The boy was fast asleep on his father’s shoulder.

“I loved it!” Hakyeon said happily, “you know I love all of your shows.” He knew Taekwoon would probably want a little time with the toddler even though he was currently asleep.

“I hope Hyukkie loved it,” Taekwoon said too, “and Hana.” The queen had evidently already made her way back up to the palace, but he was glad Hakyeon had stayed back to wait for him.

“They both did,” Hakyeon assured, “Sanghyuk always adores your shows. I’m not sure if there’s anything else he enjoys more to be honest.”

Taekwoon glanced around before leaning forward and gently kissing Hakyeon’s cheek. “Thanks for being here,” he said softly.

Hakyeon smiled softly. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else,” he said.

“Let’s head back up,” Taekwoon said, grabbing his back of supplies from the ground. He was still absolutely covered in soot, so he didn’t reach for Hakyeon’s hand, but he so badly wanted to.

“You’re going to need quite the shower when we get back,” Hakyeon said suggestively. He didn’t bother hiding the small smirk that played at his lips.

“Hey, better safe than sorry,” Taekwoon said with a shrug, missing the innuendo entirely, “sucks I can’t take the kiddo off your hands for a bit though.”

Hakyeon’s smile softened. “You can have him as soon as you’re clean although he probably won’t wake up again,” he said.

“No, that’s alright, I’ll just kidnap him tomorrow,” Taekwoon said, “I just want you tonight.”

Hakyeon chuckled quietly. “You can have him tomorrow and me tonight,” he assured.

“Good,” Taekwoon said happily, “I’ve missed you lately.” With all of Hakyeon’s new duties, they hadn’t been able to see each other much in the recent weeks, and it had taken a toll on them both.

“I’ve missed you too,” Hakyeon said quietly. He had thought he would be able to see Taekwoon more after his coronation, but it seemed to be the exact opposite.

“It’ll mellow out soon,” Taekwoon said as they finally reached the palace gates, “come see me in a little while, alright?”

“I will. And you better be clean. I don’t need any handprints on my side tonight,” Hakyeon teased. He shifted Sanghyuk to his other side, the boy was getting heavy after holding him for so long.

“Oh, you’ll have handprints, but they won’t be soot,” Taekwoon teased with a smirk. He leaned over and kissed Hakyeon’s cheek and the top of Sanghyuk’s head before heading toward his room.

Hakyeon returned to his chambers and laid Sanghyuk in his crib. He rubbed out his arms and sat on the edge of the bed. Only when he was sure both his son and wife were fast asleep, did he leave the room to go meet Taekwoon.

Taekwoon was just getting out of the bath when Hakyeon showed up at his room. “Hey, baby,” he said with a smile, “let me get dressed and then we can cuddle.”

“Why do you have to get dressed for us to cuddle?” Hakyeon asked innocently. He shed his outer robe and climbed into the middle of the bed.

“I suppose I don’t,” Taekwoon said. He finished drying his hair and laid down next to Hakyeon, not attempting to cover up at all.

Hakyeon hummed appreciatively. He pressed himself against Taekwoon’s side, letting one hand come up to rest against his exposed chest.

“Did you have fun today?” Taekwoon asked. He wondered how Hakyeon’s meeting with Eunwoo went, but he didn’t know if he should ask.

“I did,” Hakyeon said, “I had the chance to see Eunwoo too. It was so nice to talk to him again. He’s doing so well and he’s so happy. And his partners are the complete polar opposites. I didn’t even realize he was seeing anyone. I can’t believe I’ve missed so much.” He didn’t realize he was rambling until he had to stop to catch his breath.

“That’s great,” Taekwoon said, “Bin and Jinwoo have been really good for him, as far as I can tell.”

“Jinwoo stood up to me to protect Eunwoo without batting an eyelash. I can’t imagine what he would do if there was an actual threat,” Hakyeon said.

Taekwoon nodded. That sounded like classic Jinwoo. “He’s hard to read, but he really loves your brother a lot,” he said.

“As long as Eunwoo’s happy there’s nothing more I can ask for,” Hakyeon said, “he invited us over for dinner as well, but I’m not sure when I could go.”

“Tell me when you’re free and I’ll pass it along,” Taekwoon said, “they’ve got so much shit protecting that house, you’ll be dead before you even blink.”

“I don’t know, that’s the problem. And I have to find a way to convince Sanghyuk that he’ll be okay without me for a few hours,” Hakyeon said. He wanted to spend time with his brother, he really did, and he hated how impossible it was to plan.

“Sanghyuk’s a big boy, I’m sure he can handle being with his mom for a couple of hours,” Taekwoon said, “just take your time. There’s no rush.”

“He’s just barely a year,” Hakyeon said, “I just hope I’ll be able to see Eunwoo sooner rather than later.”

Taekwoon hummed. “Let’s not worry for now,” he said, sorry he had brought it up, “I just wanna spend time with you, alright?”

Hakyeon nodded and scooted a little bit closer. He let his eyes fall closed and reveled in Taekwoon’s body heat. It was nice to be able to enjoy a quiet night like this, but of course it didn’t last. Hakyeon was quickly swept back up in his duties, barely having any time to see any of his family.

Taekwoon didn’t mind Hakyeon getting busy nearly as much, because it meant he got to spend some quality time with his nephew. Sometimes, Sanghyuk demanded they play pretend, or that he be read story after story, but mostly, he pleaded for Taekwoon to make him toys to play with.

Hakyeon was grateful for how much time Taekwoon and Sanghyuk spent together. The pair really adored each other and even though Sanghyuk’s vocabulary was still limited it was easy to tell how much he loved being with Taekwoon.

It was a day a few weeks later when everything fell apart. Taekwoon was babysitting again and he and Sanghyuk were having fun playing with a little ball of fire. Making these toys for the baby had helped his control a lot, since the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt the boy. The two of them were in the grassy courtyard, with Sanghyuk chasing the ball around as Taekwoon tossed it for him. He had finally let the boy catch up with the toy when he heard a happy cry of “appa!” followed by a much louder scream of pain. Taekwoon’s concentration had slipped when he saw Hakyeon and the ball had exploded in Sanghyuk’s hands, burning him.

Hakyeon smiled fondly as he watched Sanghyuk playing. That smile quickly slipped off of his face when the ball he was chasing exploded. “Sanghyuk!” he cried, sprinting across the courtyard to his screaming son.

Taekwoon stood up, about to run over to Sanghyuk, but Hakyeon was already there, comforting and calming the screaming boy. Taekwoon could see his hands; they were bright red and already starting to blister. He took a few clumsy steps back from the scene.

A quick once over assured Hakyeon that the ball had only burned his son’s hands and not his face. “It’s going to be okay, baby. Let’s get you inside,” he said softly. He scooped his son into his arms and turned towards the castle which was when he noticed Taekwoon. The pyromancer was standing several feet from them eyes wide and face ghastly pale.

Taekwoon looked between Hakyeon and the still sobbing Sanghyuk a few times before taking another few steps back. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered before turning on his heel and running.

“Taekwoon wait!” Hakyeon called. He couldn’t afford to go after the pyromancer right away so he hurried to the castle to get Sanghyuk to the infirmary.

Taekwoon ran and he didn’t stop, not until he reached home. He had done it again. He had hurt someone again. Taekwoon was a danger, he would always be a danger, and he simply couldn’t live with himself like this anymore. He resolved to burn out again, for good.

Hakyeon stayed by Sanghyuk’s side as the doctors bustled around cleaning the burns, putting ointments on both hands, and wrapping them tightly. Sanghyuk was less than happy to not be able to use his hands, but Hakyeon was just grateful the boy was slowly calming down. Once Hana had arrived, the only thing the boy wanted was his mother so Hakyeon took that opportunity to leave the room and go find Taekwoon.

Taekwoon moved through the shell of his village numbly until he reached the place where his family house had stood years ago and where the bodies of his mother and younger brother had long since crumbled to ash. His mother had been a horrible, abusive woman, always ashamed that her progeny had grown into such a demonic creature. But Wooseok...if there was one person Taekwoon wished he could have saved and protected, it was his brother. He remembered how his brother’s arm had been marred from when Taekwoon had saved him from falling off a cliff and had burned him in the process. Their mother had been so angry.

Hakyeon found the first guard he could and demanded they escort him to where Taekwoon would be. After quite an argument, he was finally on a horse riding alongside a guard through the woods. Finally they came across a village that Hakyeon had only heard of. He dismissed the guard, assuring that they had truly headed back to the castle before slowly beginning to walk through the blackened rubble.

Taekwoon felt cold, despite the flames starting to kindle around him. There was shock in his system still, and fear. Hakyeon and Sanghyuk were the two people he would never forgive himself for hurting, and he’d burned them both. He was sure they had an army looking for him now, ready to drag him to the gallows.

Hakyeon walked slowly through the village, feet crunching over the dried ground. He looked around walls threatening to topple over at any moment and behind stones that were crumbling after years of being rained on, but he couldn’t find the pyromancer. Cautiously he called out, hoping he didn’t scare Taekwoon away.

The fire was tall enough now to reach Taekwoon’s shoulders as he sat in the rubble. _Intruder_ , it whispered, _burn the intruder_. Taekwoon tried to open his mouth, to tell whoever it was to run, but he couldn’t get the words out. His instincts cried that it was Hakyeon, but he knew better.

“Taekwoon!” Hakyeon called again, “it’s just me I promise. Hyukkie’s going to be okay. It’s just his hands. He’ll be back to his rowdy self in no time. You don’t have to hide from me.” He was starting to get worried. Was Taekwoon even here? He had to be; there was no where else he would go. But was he okay? That was the question Hakyeon was desperate to find the answer to.

Taekwoon couldn’t hear anything over the fire crackling in his ears. It was taller than him now, encasing him completely. It wasn’t burning him, yet, but it would soon.

Hakyeon was growing desperate. He was practically sprinting through the ruins when finally out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of bright orange. He rushed over to the flames, but quickly realized he couldn’t get close to the pyromancer. “Taekwoon! Taekwoon, please. Please listen to me. Everything’s going to be okay,” he said over the crackling of the flames.

Taekwoon slowly looked up when he heard his name over the crackling and his eyes widened when he saw Hakyeon. He tried to yell for the older man to run, to get away, but he still couldn’t find his voice.

Hakyeon took a step back when he saw Taekwoon’s expression. “I’m not angry with you,” he said soothingly, “Hyukkie’s going to be just fine. We both need you to come back home. I know you’re scared, but I can promise you everything is going to be okay.”

“Go,” Taekwoon finally managed to croak out, “I can’t hurt you too.”

“You won’t hurt me,” Hakyeon assured, “I’m not leaving you Taekwoon. I promised I wouldn’t in the beginning and I intend to keep that. I’m not scared of you, Taek, and you don’t need to be scared of yourself either.”

“I can’t stop it,” Taekwoon said panicked, “ _go_ , Hakyeon!”

Hakyeon took another small step back. He knew by his tone that Taekwoon wasn’t lying, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. “I won’t leave you,” he said insistently, “I-I can’t leave you. I love you Taekwoon and there’s nothing that could happen that would change that.”

“I’m gonna hurt you!” Taekwoon cried, eyes wet, “I can’t _do_ that to you.”

Hakyeon exhaled shakily, but didn’t move any further back. “Once you burn out you won’t be able to hurt me. I’ll wait for you as long as I need to and I trust you,” he said.

“No, this is it,” Taekwoon cried, “you have to _go_. It’s not gonna stop this time!”

“No, no, no, this can’t be it,” Hakyeon said desperately, “there has to be a way. There has to be something.” He stumbled a few steps back and watched Taekwoon with sad eyes. This couldn’t be happening; he couldn’t lose the pyromancer, he couldn’t.

“I’m sorry,” Taekwoon said, staring at Hakyeon with wet cheeks and sad eyes, “please go before you get hurt.”

Hakyeon’s knees buckled, sending him tumbling to the ground. “I-I can’t leave,” he said in a small voice. He watched Taekwoon closely, longing for nothing more than to wrap the pyromancer in his arms and never let go.

“Go!” Taekwoon roared, jerking forward even as the fire ripped him back. It was gaining height and power now, becoming uncomfortably hot again Taekwoon’s skin.

Hakyeon jumped and scrambled back a few feet. His palm scraped against a rock jutting out of the ground, but he barely noticed the pain as the gash began to bleed. “Taekwoon…” he mumbled sadly. There was nothing he could do to save the man he loved and it crushed him.

Taekwoon was doing his best to keep the flames contained or, at least, away from Hakyeon. “You have to go,” he pleaded, “I can’t hold it back much longer.”

Hakyeon was rooted to his spot. He was terrified of losing Taekwoon and he was watching it happen right before his eyes. His mind was telling him to run back to his family, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Taekwoon’s control snapped and he screamed as the flames rushed for Hakyeon. They engulfed him, pulling him in until Taekwoon could no longer see him.

In the blink of an eye, Hakyeon was suddenly completely surrounded by flames. Everything was hot, red hot, and he still couldn’t see Taekwoon. He wasn’t sure if he was crying because of the pain or the thought that he would be losing the pyromancer forever. The tears didn’t have time to fall to the ground, evaporating from his cheeks immediately.

Taekwoon finally managed to force himself to his feet, running forward until he found Hakyeon in the flames. He pulled the older man toward him, hoping keeping him close would protect him. “I told you to go,” he sobbed.

Hakyeon barely registered Taekwoon in front of him until he was wrapped in two strong arms. He clung onto the pyromancer and buried his face in his neck. Taekwoon’s skin was burning hot but he barely noticed. “I couldn’t leave you,” he said weakly.

“You’re gonna die, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon cried. He fell to his knees, cradling his lover in his arms. “I promised myself I would never kill another person, but you - you…”

“I promised I would never leave you. I love you so much, Taek, and nothing will change that,” Hakyeon said, voice strained. Sweat was beading on his forehead and the heat was slowly becoming more and more unbearable. But he didn’t let go. He would never let go, not even if it meant his death. As long as he was with Taekwoon, nothing else mattered.

Taekwoon knew it was hopeless. Hakyeon couldn’t run on his own, and Taekwoon couldn’t leave the fire. As it was, he could feel his own skin starting to blister. With a soft sob, he pulled Hakyeon over to a flatter spot, laying them both down.

Using the last bit of strength he had, Hakyeon pulled Taekwoon towards him and pressed their lips together. The pyromancer’s lips were hot against his own, but he ignored it. He wanted to be as close to the man he loved as possible in the last few minutes they had together.

Taekwoon held Hakyeon close, crying openly as the fire raged around the two of them. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, “I never wanted to hurt you.”

Hakyeon grimaced as he raised his arms to run his hands through Taekwoon’s hair. He could barely see the pyromancer through the tears that filled his eyes. “I know. Don’t blame yourself. I stayed because I wanted to, because I love you. I hope you know that Hyukkie and I both love you very much,” he said, voice cracking. His throat was so dry and he wanted just a drop of water to soothe it.

“I love you too,” Taekwoon said, “I’m so sorry, baby. I never meant for this to happen.” He hated that he had done this to his lover. Hakyeon deserved to live more than anything.

Hakyeon tried to muster a small smile but it hurt too much to move. He let his arm fall to his side and whimpered quietly as the blistered skin collided with the ground. “I know,” he whispered again. He tried to say more, tried to assure Taekwoon that he wasn’t angry, that he loved him so much, but the last thing he was able to choke out was “I don’t regret anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday to our king, the one and only Cha Hakyeon!


End file.
